How to work under pressure

To work under pressure you should create a strategy plan, prepare for what you know, delegate when possible, adopt a "done is better than perfect" mindset, and schedule routine breaks. The ability to work under pressure means you can still perform your job duties well, even in the presence of stress. These stressors may be caused by unforeseen circumstances and uncontrollable variables or by factors that can be predicted.

To work effectively under pressure, you must not let these stressors distract you; it's essential that you remain level-headed. You want to be able to handle the situation strategically and effectively. You want to be that person people go to when there's a fire.

Tips for how to work under pressure:

• Create a strategy plan.

It is often said that failing to plan is the same as planning to fail. Even when facing high-pressure situations, taking the time to plan your actions is crucial. It's not advisable to just "wing it" or take a spontaneous approach when dealing with stressful scenarios as it could lead to missing important details, resulting in bigger problems later.

Planning helps you to gain a broader perspective on the situation and understand what is at stake. Once you have a plan, it is helpful to break it down into smaller, more manageable steps. This approach will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and falling further behind, ultimately adding to your stress levels. Then, focus on being resilient and tackling one step at a time until you have completed the task at hand.

• Prepare for what you know.

You may not be able to plan for every possible contingency, but you can prepare for the known variables. If working under pressure comes in the form of important deadlines, sales pitches, presentations, or other items scheduled on your calendar, plan accordingly.

The only thing worse than getting caught off guard by unforeseen circumstances is being unprepared for the things you knew were coming. Those are the failures that can get you in the most trouble.

• Delegate when possible.

As a manager or a future manager, it's important to not take on all the responsibilities by yourself. Rally your team and distribute the workload so that everyone can contribute towards managing the task load and associated pressure.

Even if you aren't a manager, don't hesitate to ask for help. Approach your coworkers or managers and see if they can help with the project. They may be willing to lighten your load as long as it doesn't affect their other responsibilities.

• Adopt a "done is better than perfect" mindset.

Crunch time is no time to be a perfectionist. In these situations, recognize that you have limited time and resources; just focus on delivering the essential tasks or items for whatever you have to do.

Don't spend too much time focusing on tiny details, and don't micromanage others into doing that either. Just focus on what needs to be accomplished for the project to be delivered--no more and no less.

When working under pressure, it's easy to skip lunch and regular breaks when working on a complicated and rushed assignment. But taking those breaks will help ease the burden. Take five minutes to decompress, take a walk, get a drink of water, and free your mind from the task at hand for a little while.