This week it is National Stress Awareness Week and it’s something that is very close to us at Number Nine. We have all felt the effects of stress at some point in our lives, whether it be through work, relationships, personal pressures or through financial stress, and some of us deal with it more often than others. Some people also deal with it better than others - I know that I personally (Alanna - the design & social media freelancer) am really really bad at dealing with stress. It affects me so bad that when I don’t have it under control, it will come out through panic attacks, severe bloating or negative mental chat to myself.

First up in our series is how to deal with stress when you have a heavy workload. With running our own businesses and freelancing, this is something that we deal with on a daily basis, and due to the fact that we are all about healthy living and finding a balance we feel like we’ve figured out a few good tips on what to do when the workload gets really heavy. Read on for some tips

First up is GET ORGANISED. I cannot stress to you how much planning out your week and figuring out what days you will designate certain projects and tasks too will help change everything. Not only can you plan out your workload , but you can figure out when to pencil in time to exercise, have down time and have a social life as all of those things are just as, or if not more important than ticking off that to do list. Write down all the tasks you need to do and set realistic time frames and take charge and figure out how, and when you are going to accomplish everything and get it done in the best possible way.

As I mentioned earlier, WRITING A TO DO LIST is another great way to visually see what you have to do without worrying that you will forget something when you leave it in your mind. At first it can seem overwhelming if you do have a lot to do, but once you prioritise and figure out when and how you will get it down it will make you feel better. Try to not leave it down to a mental to do list because if you forget something you will beat yourself up for that.

SETTING LIMITS is crucial when you have a heavy workload. It can be tempting, and daunting to think that you are going to have work 24 hours for the next 2 weeks if you have a important deadline to hit but making sure you take care of yourself and your mind will help you produce work in a higher standard that you are proud off and actually enjoyed creating. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and fresh air and some sunlight. Also, make sure that you don’t allow people to keep piling more work on top of you when you're already drowning. Get comfortable with saying no and setting realistic expectations.

I know it can be hard, but try to SKIP THE COFFEE. Drinking one in the morning should be fine and help set you up for the day, but quite often we associate working long days and working hard with drinking endless amounts of coffee. But in reality that can lead to anxiety, the shakes, feeling jittery and unable to concentrate which really is the complete opposite affect of what we are aiming for. Try a herbal tea, a smoothie, decaf coffee or even some fancy water if you feel like you need a drink to help you cozy on up and knuckle down.

A lot of people seem to think that its more effective to work right on through their lunch hour and after the working day ends. But it simply doesn't work that way as you cannot remain productive for long stretches of time without giving yourself time to regroup and think about something else. TAKING BREAKS is very important and will help your productivity levels and your management of stress. Spend some time outside, eat some healthy nourishing food.

Last but not least, REWARD YOURSELF after all the hard work you have done. Take some time off to get a facial or a pedicure. Give yourself an evening to get dinner with a friend to let loose and have a drink and laugh and have fun. Your to- do list will still be there when you get back, promise you.