How can you manage stress and burnout as an event planner?

Let’s change conversation about stress. I’ll go first. “Nothing has the power to create stress. The loud music that raises blood pressure of one person can be a source of delight to another. A divorce may be traumatic if it’s unwanted, or a release into freedom if desired.” David R. Hawkins, M.D. Ph.D. “You are not at the mercy of the world only what your mind believes.” I've been in large-scale event management, shit happens. It’s what you think about it and what you make it mean that determines the outcome & your physical health. Stress pumps cortisol into your system, ruining immunity. Never “manage” stress. Develop a alchemical mindset, mental strength & a broader perspective so “stress” doesn’t control you, you control it.

Yes I agree. Another practical exercise is a time out to reflect and recalibrate. Here’s a few questions to consider during high stress. 1. What’s working and what’s not working? 2. What do I need to stop doing? What do I need to start doing? What do I need to continue? Additionally ask this question to evaluate your week. “How can I be better and do better”?

- Plan & schedule your event procedure. - Select and assign your team members based on their capabilities & skills for that particular event. - Get your team members' points on special issues in every stage and enjoy their contribution. - Every night, think of what you're going to do tomorrow. - Don't let hunger make you irritable and sensitive. Have your break every often. - Check the main stages with whom you report to, to ensure that the wall is being erected in right way.

I think Passion and enough emotional engagement with what you do, would help a lot in controlling stress coming from any of the mentioned reasons

En me basant sur mon expérience, je peux dire que la première chose pour éviter le stress est l’anticipation. Quand la planification est claire ça permet de réduire l’inconnu et donc de pouvoir être plus serein. La deuxième chose est la positivité. Quand on prend le temps d’observer la situation de l’extérieur on s’aperçoit toujours qu’elle n’est pas aussi grave qu’on le perçoit et en ayant cette attitude positive on est plus ouvert aux solutions potentielles qui peuvent se presenter pour résoudre la ou les difficultés qui nous génèrent du stress Et enfin en troisième la respiration, il faut toujours prendre le temps de respirer, d’oxygéner son cerveau. Ça fait redescendre le niveau de stress et nous donne d’autres perspectives.

- Set Clear Boundaries: establish boundaries around your work hours - Prioritize Tasks: distinguish urgent and important tasks from those that can be delegated or delayed. -Delegate Responsibilities: delegate tasks whenever possible to lighten your workload. -Practice Time Management: use time-blocking techniques to allocate specific time slots for different tasks -Take Breaks: step away from your work environment, even for a short time to reduce stress -Learn to Say No: overcommitting can lead to burnout. -Set Realistic Expectations: manage expectations to avoid unnecessary stress. -Reflect and Adjust: be proactive about making adjustments to your workflow or seeking additional support.

A key strategy I’ve adopted is to always count back from my event deadlines, adding an extra three days as a buffer for any unforeseen circumstances. This "force majeure" cushion not only gives me peace of mind but also provides valuable wiggle room to address last-minute challenges without panic. By establishing these boundaries and allowing for flexibility in my planning, I can maintain focus on what’s truly important, ensuring that I’m not overwhelmed by the inevitable surprises that come with event planning. This approach helps keep stress at bay and prevents burnout, making it possible to navigate the high-pressure world of events with confidence and resilience.

Focus on what's within your control, and let go of things beyond your influence. Stress less by tackling manageable tasks and accepting that some aspects are beyond your control. This mindset helps maintain perspective and promotes a healthier, more sustainable approach to event planning.

Unpreparedness is one of the greatest sources of stress. If you want to avoid burnout, especially in the lead-up to an event, prioritization and time management are key. Work backwards from the date of your event and set a meticulous timeline (including some additional time for forgotten tasks, delays, or "just in case" mishaps that are bound to happen). Delegate work, keep communication open, and level-set with your team and collaborators to ensure expectations and deadlines are met. While this type of preparation can be a hurdle in itself, it's a surefire way to stay on track and alleviate the overwhelm that tends to creep up during event prep.

I think that best ways to control stress in such field is looking at each event as a project that needs: 1.Early and accurate planning. 2. Going deeply into details since devil in details specially in big and complicated ones. 3. Picking the right responsible tram. 4. Deligate and Follow up.

In my experience, beginning every day with your self care routine will set you up to handle any and all unexpected issues that arise when planning an event. Speakers cancel, issues with vendors and venue will arise. There is always a solution if you take a breath and think strategically about how to turn these issues into new opportunities. The most successful people begin their self care routine between 5 am and 630 am.

Whenever my level of stress is getting out of control.. I stop everything I am doing, and I breathe deeply until my chest relaxes as the rest of my body, I might joke about something very funny,

Mantener la pauta (aunque sea en su mínima dosis) de ejercicio físico diario, nutrición e hidratación y una meditación de 10 minutos al mediodía y antes de dormir.

Self-care is my sanctuary. It’s easy to forget ourselves in the service of others, especially in a role dedicated to creating memorable experiences. However, I've found that taking time for self-care is not a luxury; it’s necessary for sustaining passion and enthusiasm. Whether it's a short walk, meditation, or a hobby that takes me away from work, these moments of respite are vital for my mental and physical health.

Stress is a natural response by the body to any demand placed on it. While stress can sometimes be beneficial, helping you stay focused and alert, chronic stress can have negative effects on both your physical and mental health. Meditation is a technique that can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. Meditation involves focusing your mind and eliminating the stream of thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. By practicing meditation regularly, you can learn to be more mindful and present in the moment, which can help reduce stress levels. Meditation 1.Promotes relaxation 2.Increases self-awareness 3.Improves concentration 4.Enhances emotional well-being 5.Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.

El estrés siempre va a existir y si se canaliza de forma positiva , puede ser un impulsor. Pero hay que definir de forma introspectiva, si es un estrés positivo o negativo. Si te está afectando tu salud física y mental ; ya es un rasgo negativo y habrá que tomar medidas y establecer límites. En primera instancia puedes controlarlo escribiendo. No debemos subestimar el valor y poder de usar una pluma y un papel; muchas veces el estrés solo existe en tu cabeza por la multitud de pensamientos , hasta que lo aterrizas a acciones y puntos concretos, que te dan una guía clara de ruta. Esto y conocer tus puntos débiles y fuertes con base en experiencias.

Taking care of oneself involves recognizing personal limitations and strengths. Building a team that complements these aspects is crucial. In my event management approach, I follow a simple rule: I allocate a day to myself, steering clear of event discussions. This intentional break allows me to evaluate the event objectively and make decisions with a clear, dispassionate perspective. However, I also emphasize the importance of fostering an open dialogue within the team about the event. Encouraging discussions on areas for improvement, allowing team members to share suggestions, and implementing valuable insights contribute to the continuous enhancement of our event execution strategies.

Event planners often neglect the most crucial VIP: themselves. Craft a mindful menu of self-care. Nourish your well-being with breaks, healthy snacks, and moments of rejuvenation. Remember, a well-fed, well-rested planner is a force to be reckoned with. I always set time in my calendar for time to meditate, go for a walk, or grab a snack. Giving yourself time to reflect and relax helps vitalize your imagination and centers your mind to be more productive.

The REX is central : what was ok, what was not okay. Once the event is done we don't want to talk about, we want to get to the next file. But doing a REX is really important. All the team can express from how they lived the planification

Organizar eventos é um estilo de vida, diante da intensidade da vida que levará tem que gostar ! São poucos os livros que ensinam a respeito, assim como há poucas oportunidades de trocas entre profissionais que exercem atividades similares. As empresas são as escolas e o aprendizado é prático. Aprendi que saber ouvir é muito melhor do que falar demais, notei que emplaquei as minhas ideias quando foram compostas agregando as opiniões de todos, onde o meu melhor papel era fortalecer as convergências. Feedback não é construído no fim do ciclo, prefiro acreditar que pode ser processo constante, a cada troca novos aprendizados. Transformei conhecimento em intuição e hoje dela vivo, numa constante busca por convergências.

Why celebration of achievements is the much you seek! Positive energy begets positivity. With self-appreciation, however mean efforts are, there is attraction of good energy which will then result in less burnout and stress. Trigger your PR dopamine by appreciating your significance in the world. You matter! Don't burn out.

Running an event is an emotional rollercoaster. When finished it is important to raise your glass and cheer with some partners, clients or friends for a quick evaluation. Know that when a event is good you barely receive feedback. When it's amazing because you matched or exceeded all expectations than you receive some positive comments. Be positive, a lot of people don't even dare to organise a small workshop so be proud of what you have achieved and look at the smiles of your guests enjoying the moment, that why we do this job we love and hate ;-)

Celebrate your wins, even and especially the small wins! Those moments of positivity, appreciation, and joy are the fuel that gets us through the stress.

Considero esencial este punto y aunque parezca algo sencillo en la práctica nunca lo es. Tenemos interiorizados patrones sociales y culturales que nos llevan a visibilizar más los fracasos que los logros. Y esto nos condiciona tanto: - Internamente: nos exigimos, nos lamentamos, magnificamos el error por encima de todo lo que sí conseguimos - Externamente: nos cuesta mostrarnos orgullosos de nuestros éxitos, los minimizamos o incluso escondemos por miedo a ser juzgados Necesitamos romper estos patrones para tomar perspectiva, poner en valor todo lo que sí conseguimos y entender que el camino al éxito está lleno de fracasos. Ser capaces de aplaudirnos, auto premiarnos y decir con orgullo: Sí, lo he conseguido, y estoy orgullosx.

Realize that feedback and gratitude aren't only available or accessible at the end. Celebrate the small wins, contributions and milestones along the way. This is FUN, you get to exercise creativity and dream a bit to create something seemingly out of thin air. Work, thank, celebrate, breathe and repeat.

Proper event planning is one key factor in managing stress. Follow through your checklist and your event plan, delegate where possible and manage your event agency with full responsibility of key elements of the event.

Stress is part of life. The best strategy to deal with it is to stop looking at the totality of the project that appears to be overwhelming. Segment out a part of it that seems to be in need of immediate attention and address that. Once that is accomplished address another segment. Suddenly the overall project is less stressful. Secondly, when you are facing a stressful situation at work, leave it there, don’t take it home with you. Get away from it, get it off your mind so when you return to work you will be rested and refreshed. Remember, stress is part of life. It’s what happens when we encounter something we’d rather not encounter but can’t avoid.

Fact 1: even with the minutest planning - things will start getting delayed till the last minute Fact 2: things may go wrong - come what may Fact 3: things start falling back in place just when you are thinking of giving up Fact 4: the event just flows into being a successful event & you get appreciated for the hard work put in Fact 5: if all has to fail - it will fail & once it’s slid away - very difficult to salvage it I have witnessed all of the above with multiple events (thankfully most of them have been the top 4 & probably a couple of these sliding to #5 One key thing that I learnt - DELEGATE & FOLLOW-UP These are all high pressure situations where there is a huge dependence on external parties & hence many variables

This is such a great question as it taps into the reality of every event planner. Reduce stress by planning with lots of lead time. Map everything out with a detailed work back schedule and hold everyone to account to deliver brilliantly and on time. If it’s short notice, as it often is, don’t lose sight of excellence but establish what’s the MVP - minimum viable production that will meet objectives. There are a lot of other tips I find useful but my top one over the years has become to hold space for compassion, both for yourself and for the vendors, stakeholders, colleagues, attendees, the AV team etc. when things go awry, because something always does!

Surround yourself with the best possible team. Team support is my strength. Cultivating a supportive, collaborative environment allows us to share the load and uplift each other during challenging times. Open communication and mutual respect within the team not only enhance our work but also buffer against burnout.