What are some effective ways to manage your stress and workload as a coach or mentor?

1 Understand your stressors

The first step to managing your stress and workload is to identify and understand what triggers your stress and how you react to it. You can use a simple tool like the Stress Diary to record your daily stress levels, the sources of stress, your thoughts and feelings, and your coping behaviors. This will help you gain insight into your stress patterns, recognize the signs of stress, and evaluate the effectiveness of your coping strategies. You can also use the MI skill of reflective listening to yourself, by acknowledging and validating your own emotions and experiences, without judging or minimizing them.

2 Prioritize and plan your tasks

The second step to managing your stress and workload is to prioritize and plan your tasks according to their urgency and importance. You can use a tool like the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize your tasks into four quadrants: do, decide, delegate, and delete. This will help you focus on the most important and urgent tasks, avoid procrastination and distractions, delegate or outsource the tasks that you can, and eliminate the tasks that are not necessary or relevant. You can also use the MI skill of agenda setting to negotiate and collaborate with your clients and stakeholders on the goals and expectations of each session, and to review and summarize the progress and outcomes.

3 Balance your energy and resources

The third step to managing your stress and workload is to balance your energy and resources between your work and personal life. You can use a tool like the Wheel of Life to assess and rate your satisfaction in different areas of your life, such as health, relationships, hobbies, finances, and spirituality. This will help you identify the areas that need more attention and improvement, and the areas that give you joy and fulfillment. You can also use the MI skill of evoking change talk to explore and strengthen your own motivation and reasons for making positive changes in your life, and to overcome any ambivalence or resistance.

5 Seek feedback and support

The fifth step to managing your stress and workload is to seek feedback and support from others who can help you grow and improve as a coach or mentor. You can use a tool like the Feedback Sandwich to give and receive constructive and positive feedback, by starting and ending with a compliment, and sandwiching a suggestion for improvement in between. This will help you enhance your skills, knowledge, and performance, and to learn from your mistakes and challenges. You can also use the MI skill of asking open-ended questions to solicit and listen to the perspectives, opinions, and advice of your peers, mentors, supervisors, and clients, and to engage in meaningful and respectful dialogue.

6 Review and celebrate your achievements

The sixth and final step to managing your stress and workload is to review and celebrate your achievements as a coach or mentor, both big and small. You can use a tool like the SMART Goal Setting to track and measure your progress and results, by making sure that your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This will help you evaluate your performance, identify your areas of improvement, and adjust your strategies as needed. You can also use the MI skill of supporting self-efficacy to reinforce and celebrate your own ability and confidence to cope with stress and achieve your goals, and to recognize and reward yourself for your efforts and accomplishments.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?