Event planning makes unrelenting demands on your physical and mental capabilities. This is a proven fact which is highlighted every time a ‘most stressful jobs’ list is compiled. The constant juggling, the creating something out of nothing, and the endless firefighting is bound to take a toll on a planner. So if you’re feeling unproductive, stressed out, irritable, losing sleep, or getting anxious, it is likely a case of burnout caused by excessive stress. The key to maintaining your sanity as an event planner is doing what you do best – plan!
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Plan your day
Planning your day/week/month helps in putting the task at hand in perspective. Once you know what all needs to be handled in a given time frame, it becomes easier to set boundaries for yourself in terms of workload. A planned schedule leaves slots open for taking breaks and setting the work/life balance in motion. You will notice a sharp increase in productivity and a significantly reduced stress level after you start following a plan.
Streamline work
With all the tech options available today, streamlining a profession like an event management is a must. Get on an event management platform like Hafla (LINK) to make your life simpler, use digital tools to stay in touch with your team, and make reminder lists. While you’re at it, remember to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Also, sit at a workstation that encourages good posture.
Learn to delegate
Of course, you know what’s best. After all, that’s why you chose to be an event planner. Event planners are control freaks by nature and tend to do even the smallest things themselves. Hire reliable staff to help you and train them to be independent yet answerable to you. Delegation is the best way to achieve load shedding. Quit micromanaging!
Practice effective communication
Delegation works only on the foundation of strong communication. Once you delegate work, it is essential that the flow of information in the form of progress reports reaches you regularly. This makes effective communication very important. Invest time in setting up a channel of communication where you can create tasks, set deadlines for them, and check status reports at a glance.
Have a plan B ready
Always have backups in place. Backups serve as a guarantee for plans gone wrong. The fluidity of an event ensures that there will always be something that will go wrong at the last moment. And this is where your plan B kicks in and saves the day. Don’t leave things to luck, that only adds to stress and anxiety.
Be punctual
It always helps to arrive early, to do things in advance, and to be ready before the scheduled time. Punctuality gives you crucial extra time that you can use for something major like putting a backup plan in motion or something minor like getting stuck in a traffic jam. Also, known fact – driving fast adds to stress!
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
This classic proverb holds wisdom – so go ahead and make time for a spot of daily exercise, a short yoga session, a refreshing walk or meet up with friends and family. Small things like turning off your notifications for a bit or bigger treats like going for a vacation will take you a long way when it comes to mental and physical rejuvenation.