Inside the Club: How to Stay Sane in an Insane World

Do you ever have those mornings where you wake up and immediately a list a mile long begins to cycle through your head? On those days, nothing can stop you from being overwhelmed by the important tasks you must undertake in the coming hours.

This happens to all of us at one time or another. Even individuals that are extremely organized find themselves with too much on their plate at one time or another. So how do you ensure your sanity, when everything around you seems to be chaos?

I read an article online once that discussed the power of breathing. So many times we take just a simple breath for granted. Especially when we become stressed or overwhelmed, we forget how crucial this regular occurrence is to our existence.

I have found that when I feel overwhelmed or stressed, I take the time to sit back and consciously take 10 deep breaths. You’ll see in movies when someone begins to freak out another person always reminds them to breath. The importance of breathing can never be more encouraged than as you begin your ascent up the ladder.

Unfortunately when you dream of success and career advancement you rarely picture the responsibility involved. You may look ahead of you and see a leader that has managing control over 10 clubs. Although their lifestyle, whether it be money or how they get to work in multiple areas, may seem exciting to you, remember that with success comes responsibility. When we are in those positions, we have hopefully been built to undertake those new responsibilities and execute them to the best our ability. However, no one is perfect, and even advancing in success and being a professional doesn’t mean that you’ll have all your ducks in a row every day.

Here are some of the following steps I have taken personally to withstand more responsibility and prevent overwhelming sensations:

1. Lists: I can not over exaggerate the importance of making lists. A list helps to get some of your ideas out of your head and onto a piece of paper — at which time you can see what you must do and what is actually stressing you out. Also, don’t be afraid to make multiple lists based on your responsibilities. For example, you have two clubs to manage? Well I have two magazines. I separate my “to-dos” based on each publication and ensure that I move strategically from one to the other.

2. Breath: Take time to stop thinking and stop working. Lean back in your chair or go find an office in the club where you can take about two minutes to take 10 deep breaths. This will help you to calm down and begin to see each task as it truly is, and not stress out. When you do this you’ll begin to feel calmer in the first few breaths, but don’t stop. Finish out your breathing just as you would, or should, finish out a prescription your doctor gave you.

3. Stretch: Being in fitness, sometimes the physical aspects of your day-to-day begin to come more systematically. You might not even think consciously about exercise, but instead just move it into your daily routine. This is all fine, however it’s important to take extra time throughout your day to stretch. Stretching is important, not only from a muscle standpoint, but it also helps relieve tension in your body and allow you to become more relaxed.

These are just a few of the things I do to stay sane. It’s easy in today’s hyper competitive work environment to begin to feel overwhelmed in your position. But remember, take some time out for you during the day, even if it’s just for a few minutes, and regain some sanity. If you do, you’ll become less stressed and more productive in your routine.

Tyler Montgomery is the Editor-in-Chief of Club Solutions Magazine. For thoughts on his blog, the print issue or the industry, reach out to him at tyler@peakemedia.com.