How Being More Efficient Can Lower Stress

Rev. Dr. Kitty Boitnott, NBCT, RScP

Heart-Centered Career Transition & Job Search Coach

When you learn to be more efficient, you can get more done and tend to do it better, all things being equal. This makes your boss happy, so you won’t ever get into trouble for not completing your work. You may be given more responsibilities as a result, but as long as you maintain your efficiency, you should be able to add those to your workload.

Efficiency also means getting others to help you when you need it. As you prove your effectiveness and your responsibilities increase, you should be able to get support for having others pitch in. When you get support from your boss, it will be more difficult for your colleagues to resist your authority. Besides, when you show them how to be more efficient, it will get them on board. They will likely ask others for help when that happens.

This increase in efficiency means more work gets done and it takes less time. You will constantly look for ways to do things better, whether via automation, delegation, etc. Since you are getting more done with less, your stress levels will decrease, and you will be happier at work.

There will be some managers who don’t see the forest for the trees and the more work you get done, the more they see it as an opportunity to increase your workload. This can get to the point of adding to your stress levels if they don’t support you. For instance, if they discourage you from delegating these new responsibilities, or they don’t give you the tools you need, this will overwhelm you and add to your stress. If talking it out with your manager won’t help, it may be time to look elsewhere. The good news is that your increased efficiency skills will help you land a new job quicker.

When you learn how to be more efficient, you have greater control of your workload. Most people find they free up time when this happens due to economies of scale. This free time gives you breathing room, and you won’t be so flustered all the time. You won’t be scrambling to get your work done by the deadlines.

Efficient people tend to have more opportunities available to them, in their current employment situations as well as outside the organization. They will always be in more demand. The great part about this is it won’t add to their stress levels.