Real talk? Work is stressful. We have looming deadlines, staff that annoy us, projects hanging over our head that we're procrastinating, and maybe even a really horrible lunch that we can't even look forward to.

All these things add up to a stressful environment where we're overwhelmed, un-focused and ineffective.

There are a ton of stress management techniques out there, but my favourites are the simplest.

I'm an entrepreneur, which means I'm the copy-writer, blogger, the speaker, the social media manager, the salesperson, the marketing department -- I kind of do it all. So I need simple techniques that don't create more overwhelm in an effort to manage my stress.

Which is why I love this simple, quick and easy technique.

READY?

I don't keep more than five tabs open at any given moment.

I think I can hear you now. "Are you serious? That's it?"

But for real, this has made a huge difference in the way I feel towards my work (and the speed of my computer may I add).

When I only see five tabs or five programs open at any given time, that feels manageable. When there's more than that - I literally want to slowly close my laptop and head to the pantry to snack on some chocolate and forget about my problems.

The way I see it, it's kinda like this:

More than five tabs creates overwhelm for me, so I do my best to avoid it, and in the process it keeps my brain more calm and happy (AND productive because I'm less distracted.)

So - what are you waiting for? Give it a whirl!

Maybe five is the magic number for you, or maybe three.

Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments below.

And, if that fails - make sure to download my free gift "Three Minutes to Calm" and see if that does the trick!

Happy Monday!

--Trish