Here's what I do to perform well under pressure 🤦‍♀️➡💁‍♀️

💡 Hey, have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to juggle multiple tasks at once? If so, welcome to the club! 😉

The good news? You're not alone. 😌

The best news? There are techniques that can help you deal with those moments when all you want to do is close your computer, have a cup of tea... or catch a flight to the moon. 🚀🌑

I currently work as a senior software developer at a consulting firm and on a daily basis, I need to perform tasks such as bug fixes, configurations, analysis, implementations, last-minute meetings, and, of course, helping out my colleagues. In between, the priority of some of these tasks disappears out of nowhere 🤷‍♀️, while others emerge just as quickly 🤦‍♀️, and I'm constantly bombarded with messages from the deepest pits of messenger hell, like Teams 🔥😱.

In these moments, what I do is follow a checklist of things I need to do to calm down, organize things and turn the game around 😨 ➡ 😎.

You can use this checklist according to your needs. Don't worry about the number of items. You can start slowly and see what works best for you. So, shall we get started?

✅ Emotional control 🕊️💆‍♀️

It's hard to tell humans to stay calm. We're not machines, we can't just turn a switch on or off. However, we can control or reduce our anxiety. To do this, the first thing I do is keep my thoughts positive.

❌ Avoid thinking negative thoughts like: Why is this person telling me to do this? I already have so much to do, why give me more tasks?

✔️ Instead, imagine the rewards that this can and will probably bring, such as notoriety from management, recognition from colleagues, and a future appreciation or promotion.

❌ Don't take it personally: In this sense of being positive, avoid taking demands personally.

✔️ Realize that pressure is usually created due to deadlines, clients, or business demands, not something against you. You can be sure that the person who asked you for something received the same request as you.

✅ Organization and Prioritization 📌📝

Organizing and prioritizing tasks is essential to ensure that you identify what needs to be done first and don't forget anything.

❌ Don't leave everything in your mind, even though it may seem reliable, it can play tricks on you.

✔️ Instead, use a tool to help you organize your tasks, ordering them by priority. Some of the most common are:

📌 Todoist – Simple to-do list, organized by projects and priorities.

📌 Microsoft To Do – Integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem, great for personal and work lists.

📌 Google Keep – Great for quick notes and simple lists, syncs with Google.

📌 Notion – More advanced organization, allows you to create lists, databases and personalized notes.

My priority list in Notion:

✅ Reward yourself 🥇🙆‍♀️

Rewarding yourself after all the effort to keep things in order is a great way to stay motivated and avoid burnout. After all, working under pressure consumes mental and emotional energy.

Our brain responds well to rewards, creating a positive association with a job well done. In addition, it also takes away the feeling of always racing against time, bringing a moment of relief.

Finally, knowing that there is a pot of gold ✨ at the end of the rainbow 🌈 helps you keep going.

❌ Instead of moving on to another set of priorities.

✔️ Take a short break – A quiet coffee, a quick walk or a few minutes without screens. ☕🌿

✔️ Do something you enjoy – Watch an episode of a series, listen to music or play a relaxing game. 🎧📺🎮

✔️ Give yourself a physical reward – A chocolate or a special snack. 🍫🍕

✔️ Unplug for a while – Go for a walk, practice a hobby or just do nothing. 🚶‍♂️🎨💤

Final words 🧁🙋‍♀️

These are the main steps I follow when I'm dealing with pressure. You don't have to follow them exactly. Just try some of them and see what works for you. I hope they can help you in your day-to-day life, just like they help me 😉.

If you liked the post , have any suggestions or complaints, or just want to type a little, please leave a comment 💁‍♀️. I'll read them all, I promise 🤞.