For various reasons this issue you hold in hand was done under a lot of pressure, to make it on time.

So we thought of sharing some of the secrets that would help you when you find yourself working under a tight deadline, flying back and forth between cities trying to finalize that deal, or simply working under a lot of stress.

Secret 1: Headphones are Your Best Friend

You will be amazed at how headphones would help block all the surrounding noise, and by doing that you get a chance to focus and get into the zone you want to be productive and get things done. If music doesn’t work for you consider using white noise or nature sounds.

Secret 2: Take Regular Breaks

You might not even notice it till it’s too late but working on a laptop, desktop, or even on a blackberry is exhausting, what you need to do is take a break at least every hour. Stand up and take a short walk around, better yet you can stretch out. If you’re stuck on a plane you can stand up and take a walk up and down the aisle.

Secret 3: Take a Deep Breath

Taking deep breaths will help you calm down and relax, people who meditate know that fact, but what is so great about deep breaths is that it will supply you with oxygen to fuel your brain, while cutting the stress levels to a minimum, try it the next time you’re working hard on a project and remember that it doesn’t take more then seconds.

Secret 4: Eliminate any Distractions You Do Control

One of the main distractions is your cellphone, turning it off or at least setting it on silent mode while working won’t harm, it will keep your mind focused on the task you’re working on. Another main distraction that you can control is your instant messaging client, and email. So consider turning your internet connection off all together to get that nagging job done.

Secret 5: Break the Task to Manageable Chunks

Looking at the project or task from an overview would sometimes discourage you from finishing it, especially when you have a complicated entangled project to finish, a great way to finish it is breaking it down to small manageable tasks, this way you will get a sense of accomplishment every time you finish a small task, and it will show you how far you have been progressing through your project. Furthermore you won’t have to dedicate long periods of time to finish everything at once.

Secret 6: Turn that TV Off!

Personally I am one of those people who gets distracted by flashing media, such as TV sets, and since we have Televisions almost in every room, you run a high risk of getting distracted from the job at hand. If you can’t turn the TV off, you can at least use your headphones (buddies) and sit with your back to the TV to eliminate those little visual cues.

Secret 7: Don’t Get Everything Done

Once you remove that idea off your mind you will find yourself pushing full charge to finish it all, since thinking that you “have to” finish everything at once will add a level of unwanted and unneeded stress to your work-flow.

At times you will find yourself working in a different environment other then the one you are used to, so relax and try to finish the most important stuff, and you will find other time to finish the rest with out stressing yourself.

Secret 8: Plan B (Break The Glass in Case of an Emergency)

These things happen, you get many distractions every now and then, things that can’t really be even predicted, so what to do?

Well have a Plan B ready, that could be shutting every communication down for a period of time, if you have internet at work, consider going offline for a while. Also keep a quite and cozy cafe in mind.

A bonus secret I would like to share, is try to regulate your caffeine intake, drinking too much coffee or power-drinks won’t help you focus, it will add a lot of unwanted stress. This article has been written under a lot of stress to meet What’s Up deadline for the next issue, and things went smooth… As a matter of fact I have finished more content that should cover even the next issue.