THE ART OF SURVIVING A TIME CRUNCH

It’s no fun to face a deadline, whether it’s a work presentation or a party you're hosting. But you can cross the finish line without a single (new) gray hair.

- BY DAN BOVA

IS IT ANY WONDER that deadlines fill us with anxiety and panic? “Dead” is right there in the word.

Maybe you're prepping for an important client presentation or planning a 3-year-old’s birthday party—the stakes may be wildly different, but the stress is all the same.

Inevitably you're going to hear that ticking clock in your head, along with a familiar, unwelcome refrain: “There’s no way I’m going to get this done on time!” Deadlines are locked arm in arm with fear of failure, twirling about in the worst mental-health two-step dance ever choreographed.

And here’s the really diabolical part: Even when on paper we do actually have plenty of time to complete a project, our brains trick us into thinking we don’t. In a study published in Psychological Science, participants were given the same deadline for a variety of tasks that ranged from “effortless” to “effortful.” They were then asked to describe how far away that deadline seemed. Those with the easy-peasy projects perceived the due date as being way off in the distance, while those given tougher tasks described the time frame as looming and coming up quickly. An assignment that requires lots of work, the study found, distorts our perception of time, which in turn creates even more stress.

This cycle of flop sweat and hopelessness can lead to physical and mental overload, including headaches, digestive problems, lack of focus, fatigue, memory loss, and sleeplessness. None of those things are going to be very helpful when you need to put your head down and get stuff done, right?

Well, it doesn’t have to be that way, according to time management experts. “Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to completely eliminate deadline stress, but there are strategies you can use to dial down the anxiety and be as efficient as possible,” says Terry Rice, a business consultant, speaker, and director of growth at Good People Digital.