Throughout life, we all don many hats from parent to teacher, or business professional to budding entrepreneur. Oftentimes the hat you initially wear ends up stacked underneath a few others, all of which, if not managed properly, leads to stress. If unable to de-stress, your performance at home and in the work place can be affected. As a single father of an intelligent, energetic, and inquisitive 4-year old, and not to mention a full time urgent care physician and part-time wound care physician, the number of hats can sometimes grow exponentially.

In order to make it all work, here are 8 tips I use to stay sane, drive my peak performance at work and remain a dedicated and loving father:

Drink Water

The human body contains approximately 55-60% water. The composition of the human brain is roughly 75% water. In a world filled with triple lattes and energy drinks, we often forget about H2O. This being said I have found that when feeling sluggish, or in a less desirable mood, be it on the job or at home, a tall glass of water(or several) helps combat the dehydration the body and brain feels and can improve your performance.

Exercise/Eat Healthy

It is no secret that to reach your peak performance the body needs energy. What better way is there to reach this goal than with diet and exercise. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, with the appropriate amounts of dairy, carbohydrates, and proteins, will provide you with the energy balance needed to aggressively pursue success. If you haven’t noticed, the truly successful tend to be in the best of shape because they know, in order to achieve peak performance, the body and mind must be healthy.

Vacation

I was once asked, “Why do people take vacations?” My response was simple, “To get away.” but the correct response is to replenish their positive energy. Positive energy is that energy that allows us to pursue our goals and maximize our interactions with those around us. When depleted, we tend to not go that extra step to push ourselves and we find our performance lacking.

Get Silly

Plain and simple, “LIGHTEN UP SOMETIME!” Whether in the work place or at home a good laugh goes far to lighten the mood of an often stressful day. What a release of stress there is when you scream at the top of your lungs for no reason( I don’t recommend this on the job). It is a great way to blow off steam and if accompanied by the high-pitched screams of children, it puts a huge exclamation point on the situation.

Enjoy a Massage

What more needs to be said. If you have never had one, GET ONE! Massage is known to decrease stress and anxiety, relax tired and overworked muscles as well stimulate the release of endorphins (Endorphins are opiod polypeptide compounds the body produces that have been shown to decrease pain and promote a sense of well being). This equates to an alert, well rested mind ready to accelerate you down the road to success.

Pray or Meditate

Prayer and meditation both create a calming effect on the mind and body. They allow you to make contact with your inner self and a higher power, if you believe in one. In my experience, a better understanding of oneself will allow you to better understand and deal with others.

Form Healthy Relationships

Surround yourself with positive people who are uplifting, supportive, and trustworthy. In your time of need they will be your sounding board and confidant and keep you focused on your goals. They will also let you know when you have stretched yourself too thin and when you need to restructure your hats.

Think Outside the Box

This can truly be an exciting endeavor. Being able to adapt to a change and modify your way of thinking can make the most difficult situations bearable. This may also lead to forming faster solutions to common problems or better yet creating new avenues for success. Use your time wisely!

Stress affects us at all facets of our lives. At times, it is a necessary ingredient that is there to push us and help us succeed. At other times, it can be detrimental to the task at hand. It is important to create a balance between family and your professional life so that both are fulfilled. Otherwise you may find yourself not performing optimally in either.