Last year the Economic Survey declared that India had moved into the East Asian growth trajectory. The FM settles all debate this time by saying that the economy has moved decisively to a higher growth phase. The Survey continues to emphasise what it did last time - managing macro-economic growth even while containing inflation. It remains sanguine about economic growth even in the face of a slowing US and global economy and notes that the economy is likely to remain domestic demand driven in the medium term. Even while the Survey talks of effective delivery systems at the state and the local level, it remains to be seen how the budget addresses the issue of effective delivery and of managing and measuring outcomes.
This time, it latches on to Per Capita Income and Investment to perhaps make the point that the high GDP growth has trickled down to the Aam Aadmi . It proudly notes that the rate of growth of per capita income has sharply climbed to 7.2% per annum - implying that average income of the Aam Aadmi can virtually double in a decade. It also points that out private final consumption expenditure at per person level is up and so are the saving rates.
Interestingly, it also points to the limited capability of state governments to deliver goods and services to people. It suggests a Smart Card based System to enhance the delivery and efficiency of government schemes such as NREGA, Public Distribution System etc. The management of supply is also being viewed as a critical aspect for inflation management.
The Eco Survey also indicates that the targets for revenue and fiscal deficits for the year 2007-08 appear well within reach. But, it also strikes a cautionary note by saying that the current revenue buoyancy is riding on the performance of an economy more globalised than before. Thus, global developments that have a bearing on India's domestic economy would need to be watched. It also applauds the move by 26 states to a rule based programme for fiscal reforms.
On Inflation, the survey notes that the change in the structure of the economy has made inflation management a more complex task. It mentions that monetary policy mechanisms - particularly to tackle inflation arising of capital inflows-have become important. Even while it acknowledges that agricultural import tariffs remain high, it is unlikely to do much to reduce these rates in an election year, particularly when a sensitive constituency like agriculture needs to be addressed.
It sees agriculture as an important sector to push GDP growth upwards and to make growth more inclusive and biased in favour of women. It also sees higher farm incomes providing equitable growth. Even here, it stresses on the need to build outcome oriented perspective in the implementation of public programmes. Increasing productivity in the face of limited area of cultivation is important, it says.
It expects capital inflows as a proportion of GDP to decline, but, feels that the decline will be modest but enough to take the pressure on reserve accumulation and exchange rate appreciation.
It sees the country continuing to attract significant cross-border portfolio inflows as India is expected to continue to remain a relatively attractive investment destination. It notes the importance of insurance and pension funds for both the equity and the debt markets and hints at further initiatives to expand and deepen both the Government Securities and the Corporate Bond markets. It also sees the debt markets as a critical financing mechanism for the infrastructure sector.
Even while it expects pressure on the rupee to weaken, the Survey is not optimistic about exports on account of world GDP and world imports. It says that he outlook for exports in the year 2008-09 is not as bright as it was in the years before. Policy changes and relief measures for export oriented sectors can be expected.
Employment is a key area of focus for the UPA government; its flagship NREAGA programme is meant to address precisely this issue. The survey notes that while employment growth actually rose to 2.62% per annum in the period 1999-2000 to 2004-05, unemployment actually rose as an absolute measure on account of a faster increase in the labour force. The share of agriculture in total employment is still declining. The survey also points out an improvement in important social indicators but stresses on the need for better governance and improved service delivery at the local level.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Economic Survey 2007-08: Petroleum Sector
With international crude oil prices touching an all-time high of 102 dollars a barrel, the Economic Survey on Thursday advised privatisation of old oil fields to raise output and reduce India's import dependence.
State-run firms Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) have seen oil output fall from old fields like those in Gujarat and Assam, and new technology will be needed to raise recovery.
India, which spent 48.389 billion dollars to import its crude oil needs in 2006-07, has already spent 48.02 billion dollars on crude imports in the first nine months of the current fiscal because of rise in international oil prices.
"The international price of crude oil and petroleum products has increased phenomenally in recent months. The crude oil price of the Indian basket touched an all-time high of 92.13 dollars per barrel on November 26, 2007," it said.
The surge in global oil prices had "a significant impact on the oil marketing companies and the Indian economy as India imports about 72 per cent of the crude oil requirement."
The Government this month raised price of petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre and Re one a litre respectively, that could contribute 0.19 per cent increase in inflation.
The pre-Budget survey that was tabled in Parliament today, suggested: "Sell old oil fields to private sector for application of improved/enhanced oil recovery techniques."
Besides stepping up domestic production, the remaining deficit would have to be bridged by entering into strategic geo-political alliances to access energy assets in the region, the Survey said, pointing to the need of making investments in energy chain in Middle-East and Africa.
State-run firms Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) have seen oil output fall from old fields like those in Gujarat and Assam, and new technology will be needed to raise recovery.
India, which spent 48.389 billion dollars to import its crude oil needs in 2006-07, has already spent 48.02 billion dollars on crude imports in the first nine months of the current fiscal because of rise in international oil prices.
"The international price of crude oil and petroleum products has increased phenomenally in recent months. The crude oil price of the Indian basket touched an all-time high of 92.13 dollars per barrel on November 26, 2007," it said.
The surge in global oil prices had "a significant impact on the oil marketing companies and the Indian economy as India imports about 72 per cent of the crude oil requirement."
The Government this month raised price of petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre and Re one a litre respectively, that could contribute 0.19 per cent increase in inflation.
The pre-Budget survey that was tabled in Parliament today, suggested: "Sell old oil fields to private sector for application of improved/enhanced oil recovery techniques."
Besides stepping up domestic production, the remaining deficit would have to be bridged by entering into strategic geo-political alliances to access energy assets in the region, the Survey said, pointing to the need of making investments in energy chain in Middle-East and Africa.
Fruit Juices -- Providing the Real Punch!!
This juice is worth its squeeze. At least cola majors Coca-Cola and PepsiCo think so. A couple of weeks back, when beverages giant The Coca-Cola Company announced its results for the October-December 2007 quarter, it attributed the growth in its Indian market to its mainstay brand Coca-Cola and its expanding portfolio of fruit drinks (beverages with 20 per cent fruit pulp).
Fruit drinks are increasingly filling the crates that were otherwise capped with fizzy carbonates in the Indian market. In October 2007, Coca-Cola India took its orange fruit drink Minute Maid national after a carefully phased launch that first covered major cities. Last month, PepsiCo rolled out its fruit drink, Tropicana Twister, nationally.
PepsiCo also announced that it expects to treble its turnover in the next three years, expecting a good portion of this increase to come from fruit drinks. Coca-Cola India has meanwhile launched its second communication campaign for Minute Maid and the company has also finished its test-marketing 200 ml carton packs of “Mazaa Aam Panna” in Agra, Bhopal and Bareilly. The company plans to launch the drink this summer.
The action by the global giants is partly in response to the local players. In March 2007, homegrown beverages major Dabur had launched Real Twist, its fruit drink in three flavours – Mango-Orange, Mango-Apple and Mango-Pineapple.
“Growth in the fruit drinks segment has been accelerated by increased consumption by teenagers in the last two years. With Réal Twist, we are meeting the needs of teenagers who were looking for a product that is different and with which they can associate,” says K K Chutani, general manager-marketing, Dabur India.
It’s also because the fruit drinks segment is ripe for plucking. At Rs 1,200 crore, the juice and juice drink category is among the fastest growing segments of the approximately Rs 9,500 crore packaged beverages category. While fruit drinks as a category is growing at 18-20 per cent, carbonated soft drinks are growing at 6-8 per cent.
However, more than 90 per cent of sales happen through the unorganised route — juice centres, street corner shops and so on. It’s this 90 per cent that companies are tapping. “Hygiene is a huge issue at most of these outlets. A well-packed fruit drink can surely tap this market,” says Venkatesh Kini, vice-president-marketing, Coca Cola India.
Competitors agree. “It’s the fastest growing liquid beverage category. The young consumer has clearly displayed a liking and a need for fruit drinks,” says Sucheta Govil, executive director- innovation, PepsiCo India.
The other part of the strategy is to cater to the evolving consumer tastes. “The Indian consumer of today is clearly seeking healthier alternatives,” says Sharda Agarwal, a former marketing director of Coca-Cola India and a co-founder MarketGate Consulting.
“Bottled water and fruit-based drinks are benefiting from the healthier tone that Indian consumers have taken. Moreover, the soft drink market is maturing,” agrees Sunil Alagh, chairman, SKA Advisors.
Hence, TV campaigns of both companies emphasise the presence of fruit. For instance, Pepsi’s campaign shows a young boy sipping from a bottle of Tropicana Twist only to find pretty girls hurling oranges at him, in a way symbolising the fruit rush that the consumer gets after drinking the juice. “We plan to spread awareness about health benefits of fruit and fruit juices through various nutritional programmes,” says Govil.
Coca-Cola India’s campaign for Minute Maid shows fruit pulp disappearing from oranges only to be found in the drink, promoted widely as Pulpy Orange. The company focused a large amount of it promotions on sampling.
Apart from television and print advertisements, Coca-Cola India distributed free samples to consumers at malls, offices, shopping arcades multiplexes and other places in most major metros to create awareness. “We distributed more than a million free samples. Once consumers taste our product they would be hooked to it,” says Kini.
But the same confidence seems to be missing on ground. In a dipstick study conducted by Business Standard, It was found that close to 50 per cent of restaurants, bars and hotels surveyed did not stock the new variants launched by Pepsi Co or Coca Cola India.
Bar and restaurant owners believe that these drinks are of little use to them as customers prefer carbonated drinks as they mix well with other spirits. They also believe that most of their customers are not in an health conscious frame of mind at their joints and hence most do not see any value in stocking these drinks.
Hotel owners are also of a similar opinion that customers trust them on hygiene, but would not prefer such fruit drinks due to the preservatives present in them. Says one, Fresh fruit juice always tastes different, these drinks are just not the same.
Another points out that their fresh fruit juice are higher ticket items at Rs 30-45 a glass than these drinks. “Fruit juice and fruit drinks will sell more at kirana and convenience stores. They require the more traditional FMCG medium of distribution,” agrees MarketGate’s Agarwal.
But the other 50 per cent who stock support the products are positive. Pepsi retailers are optimistic that there will be demand for the drink once the advertising and campaign picks up. Minute Maid retailers claim that they already sell 1-2 bottles in the same time in which they sell 10-12 bottles of Coke or Sprite.
Further they believe that sales are low because its winter. It’s a common belief amongst them that once summer sets in demand will surely increase for these drinks. Hotel owners in affluent areas claim that they are already experiencing a pull for the drink.
This pull is essential as the focus on fruit drinks is also an attempt at portfolio diversification. Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo discovered this, much to their discomfort, when consumers started to shy away from Colas following reports of contaminated water in the carbonates— twice in the last five years. A diversified portfolio, consultants believe, will empower companies when crisis strikes.
Both companies decline that this is the real reason behind pushing fruit drinks. They say that they are merely leveraging the market opportunity. Says Kini, “The market for carbonated drinks is 10 times larger than the fruit drinks segment. We are launching this product because our research shows that the Indian customer is ready.”
Globally, however, both Coca-Cola and Pepsi have no qualms in accepting that their focus is on building a strong portfolio of non-carbonated drinks. Coca-Cola’s global strategy has been to target newer markets with carbonated drinks and to build a strong non-carbonated drink brands and healthier carbonated drinks like diet-colas, sugar-free drinks and so on.
The results are also showing globally. For instance, Pepsi’s juice brand Tropicana Premium’s global sales is higher than carbonated drinks like Mirinda and 7Up. Also sports drink Gatorade and Diet Pepsi rank second and fourth in terms of world wide retail sales clearly signifying the shift towards health drinks.
Non-carbonated drinks is also more profitable. In 2007, 62 per cent of the volume sales of PepsiCo Beverages North America were accounted for by carbonated drinks, while non-carbonated merely contributed 38 per cent. However, in terms of revenue, non-carbonated drinks contributed to 69 per cent while carbonated drinks generated only 31 per cent.
While it’s too early to compare volumes in India, the pricing of the products can shed some light on the attractiveness of the segment. While a 500 ml bottle of Pepsi or Coke costs Rs 20, a 350 ml PET bottle of Tropicana Twister costs Rs 22, while Minute Maid costs Rs 25 for a 400 ml PET bottle.
While Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are climbing up the price ladder, Dabur is driving its price point down with Real Twist. That’s because the company has traditionally marketed fruit juice and nectar, which contain 80 per cent or more of fruit pulp.
After targeting, housewives, children and senior citizens with its premium juice offering Real and its variant Real Activ, the company has extended its portfolio with Twist to reach out to the youngsters. Real Twist is priced at Rs 45 for 1.2 litres on the other hand its fruit juices like Real and Real Activ are priced between Rs 72 and Rs 85 per litre.
Even PepsiCo and Coca Cola India are looking at the age group of 18-29 years and 20- 29 years respectively. Both companies have also tweaked the taste of their global products to suit the Indian palate.
“Indians like their juice with more orange and more sweet. Hence, we have made it so,” says Coke’s Kini. Will consumer response be equally sweet?
Fruit drinks are increasingly filling the crates that were otherwise capped with fizzy carbonates in the Indian market. In October 2007, Coca-Cola India took its orange fruit drink Minute Maid national after a carefully phased launch that first covered major cities. Last month, PepsiCo rolled out its fruit drink, Tropicana Twister, nationally.
PepsiCo also announced that it expects to treble its turnover in the next three years, expecting a good portion of this increase to come from fruit drinks. Coca-Cola India has meanwhile launched its second communication campaign for Minute Maid and the company has also finished its test-marketing 200 ml carton packs of “Mazaa Aam Panna” in Agra, Bhopal and Bareilly. The company plans to launch the drink this summer.
The action by the global giants is partly in response to the local players. In March 2007, homegrown beverages major Dabur had launched Real Twist, its fruit drink in three flavours – Mango-Orange, Mango-Apple and Mango-Pineapple.
“Growth in the fruit drinks segment has been accelerated by increased consumption by teenagers in the last two years. With Réal Twist, we are meeting the needs of teenagers who were looking for a product that is different and with which they can associate,” says K K Chutani, general manager-marketing, Dabur India.
It’s also because the fruit drinks segment is ripe for plucking. At Rs 1,200 crore, the juice and juice drink category is among the fastest growing segments of the approximately Rs 9,500 crore packaged beverages category. While fruit drinks as a category is growing at 18-20 per cent, carbonated soft drinks are growing at 6-8 per cent.
However, more than 90 per cent of sales happen through the unorganised route — juice centres, street corner shops and so on. It’s this 90 per cent that companies are tapping. “Hygiene is a huge issue at most of these outlets. A well-packed fruit drink can surely tap this market,” says Venkatesh Kini, vice-president-marketing, Coca Cola India.
Competitors agree. “It’s the fastest growing liquid beverage category. The young consumer has clearly displayed a liking and a need for fruit drinks,” says Sucheta Govil, executive director- innovation, PepsiCo India.
The other part of the strategy is to cater to the evolving consumer tastes. “The Indian consumer of today is clearly seeking healthier alternatives,” says Sharda Agarwal, a former marketing director of Coca-Cola India and a co-founder MarketGate Consulting.
“Bottled water and fruit-based drinks are benefiting from the healthier tone that Indian consumers have taken. Moreover, the soft drink market is maturing,” agrees Sunil Alagh, chairman, SKA Advisors.
Hence, TV campaigns of both companies emphasise the presence of fruit. For instance, Pepsi’s campaign shows a young boy sipping from a bottle of Tropicana Twist only to find pretty girls hurling oranges at him, in a way symbolising the fruit rush that the consumer gets after drinking the juice. “We plan to spread awareness about health benefits of fruit and fruit juices through various nutritional programmes,” says Govil.
Coca-Cola India’s campaign for Minute Maid shows fruit pulp disappearing from oranges only to be found in the drink, promoted widely as Pulpy Orange. The company focused a large amount of it promotions on sampling.
Apart from television and print advertisements, Coca-Cola India distributed free samples to consumers at malls, offices, shopping arcades multiplexes and other places in most major metros to create awareness. “We distributed more than a million free samples. Once consumers taste our product they would be hooked to it,” says Kini.
But the same confidence seems to be missing on ground. In a dipstick study conducted by Business Standard, It was found that close to 50 per cent of restaurants, bars and hotels surveyed did not stock the new variants launched by Pepsi Co or Coca Cola India.
Bar and restaurant owners believe that these drinks are of little use to them as customers prefer carbonated drinks as they mix well with other spirits. They also believe that most of their customers are not in an health conscious frame of mind at their joints and hence most do not see any value in stocking these drinks.
Hotel owners are also of a similar opinion that customers trust them on hygiene, but would not prefer such fruit drinks due to the preservatives present in them. Says one, Fresh fruit juice always tastes different, these drinks are just not the same.
Another points out that their fresh fruit juice are higher ticket items at Rs 30-45 a glass than these drinks. “Fruit juice and fruit drinks will sell more at kirana and convenience stores. They require the more traditional FMCG medium of distribution,” agrees MarketGate’s Agarwal.
But the other 50 per cent who stock support the products are positive. Pepsi retailers are optimistic that there will be demand for the drink once the advertising and campaign picks up. Minute Maid retailers claim that they already sell 1-2 bottles in the same time in which they sell 10-12 bottles of Coke or Sprite.
Further they believe that sales are low because its winter. It’s a common belief amongst them that once summer sets in demand will surely increase for these drinks. Hotel owners in affluent areas claim that they are already experiencing a pull for the drink.
This pull is essential as the focus on fruit drinks is also an attempt at portfolio diversification. Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo discovered this, much to their discomfort, when consumers started to shy away from Colas following reports of contaminated water in the carbonates— twice in the last five years. A diversified portfolio, consultants believe, will empower companies when crisis strikes.
Both companies decline that this is the real reason behind pushing fruit drinks. They say that they are merely leveraging the market opportunity. Says Kini, “The market for carbonated drinks is 10 times larger than the fruit drinks segment. We are launching this product because our research shows that the Indian customer is ready.”
Globally, however, both Coca-Cola and Pepsi have no qualms in accepting that their focus is on building a strong portfolio of non-carbonated drinks. Coca-Cola’s global strategy has been to target newer markets with carbonated drinks and to build a strong non-carbonated drink brands and healthier carbonated drinks like diet-colas, sugar-free drinks and so on.
The results are also showing globally. For instance, Pepsi’s juice brand Tropicana Premium’s global sales is higher than carbonated drinks like Mirinda and 7Up. Also sports drink Gatorade and Diet Pepsi rank second and fourth in terms of world wide retail sales clearly signifying the shift towards health drinks.
Non-carbonated drinks is also more profitable. In 2007, 62 per cent of the volume sales of PepsiCo Beverages North America were accounted for by carbonated drinks, while non-carbonated merely contributed 38 per cent. However, in terms of revenue, non-carbonated drinks contributed to 69 per cent while carbonated drinks generated only 31 per cent.
While it’s too early to compare volumes in India, the pricing of the products can shed some light on the attractiveness of the segment. While a 500 ml bottle of Pepsi or Coke costs Rs 20, a 350 ml PET bottle of Tropicana Twister costs Rs 22, while Minute Maid costs Rs 25 for a 400 ml PET bottle.
While Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are climbing up the price ladder, Dabur is driving its price point down with Real Twist. That’s because the company has traditionally marketed fruit juice and nectar, which contain 80 per cent or more of fruit pulp.
After targeting, housewives, children and senior citizens with its premium juice offering Real and its variant Real Activ, the company has extended its portfolio with Twist to reach out to the youngsters. Real Twist is priced at Rs 45 for 1.2 litres on the other hand its fruit juices like Real and Real Activ are priced between Rs 72 and Rs 85 per litre.
Even PepsiCo and Coca Cola India are looking at the age group of 18-29 years and 20- 29 years respectively. Both companies have also tweaked the taste of their global products to suit the Indian palate.
“Indians like their juice with more orange and more sweet. Hence, we have made it so,” says Coke’s Kini. Will consumer response be equally sweet?
Friday, March 7, 2008
Remoulding your worries to drive your activities -- An insghtful excerpt
You already have the means to change the pattern of escalating worry by using the power of your mind. The systematic Evaluate-Plan-Remediate approach allows you to examine the process of worry and break it down into smaller, more manageable problem units that can be solved or resolved.
For example, suppose you receive a team e-mail from your supervisor about the agenda for an upcoming budget review meeting. In the past, you've always been asked to present the target revenues for your department, but you have yet to be asked this year.
You feel a twist in your stomach, a sign that worry is creeping in. Your thoughts begin to speed up: "Why haven't I been asked? Did someone else get the assignment? Did I do a poor job last time? I must be an idiot! Am I being demoted or eased out?" Using the Evaluate-Plan-Remediate worry-intervention method, you can stop the worry as soon as you start to feel it taking over.
1. Evaluate: "Yes, I haven't yet been asked to present the projected revenues at the budget review meeting. That's all I know right now."
2. Plan: "I need to get information. I should contact my supervisor and ask her directly if she expects me to present this part of the budget."
3. Remediate: "I'll call my supervisor and make an appointment to see her in person."
This simple sequence can replace that sense of panic with an immediate evaluation of the situation and a plan for necessary action. If you can make this process a habit every time you feel that twist in your stomach or twinge in your head, you'll turn your worry into action.
Step 1: Evaluate
The key to evaluating the cause of the worry is to confront it. Don't ignore those little signals your body is giving you. They won't go away until you face what causes them. Use the following guidelines for this step.
Name the problem: Just giving a name to a problem can help reduce stress because by identifying the specific problem, you've already eliminated all other possibilities. Naming makes things more manageable. Discover the stress-creating pattern that describes your situation.
For example, do you take on too many responsibilities? Find it difficult to balance work and life issues? Work in the wrong job? Have problems with colleagues or supervisors? Procrastinate when a deadline looms?
Think constructively about the problem: this may seem like a difficult step, but all it takes is an honest examination of your own automatic worry process. It requires that you keep back and watch yourself in order to identify how your mind leaps from the bad news or perceived danger that triggers the worry to the "awfulizing" of the initial event. Apply these practices:
Examine your automatic thoughts. Monitor your automatic thoughts. What words pop into your mind? Write down the words and look at them more objectively. Often you can see how exaggerated they are. For example, do you use negative descriptors (idiot, stupid) against yourself?
Correct errors in logic. Next, examine your automatic thoughts for errors in logic. For example, why would your supervisor include you in the e-mail message about the budget meeting unless you had a role in that meeting? Your hasty assumption that you were being excluded in an error in logic.
Develop alternative hypotheses. Even though you may leap to the worst-case scenario, there may be other hypotheses that could explain the situation. Your supervisor may have assumed that you were working on the revenue report, or she may have a different task in mind for you.
Revise your fundamental assumptions about yourself and your work. Instead of calling yourself stupid and assuming that the disaster will certainly occur, start becoming your own best supporter. This may prove to be a difficult step to take because these fundamental assumptions can reflect ancient and deep-seated ways of looking at yourself and your world. However, if these assumptions are untrue and block constructive thoughts, they need to be replaced with healthier and more honest ones. The important thing is to discard the distortions that prevent your from achieving rational and productive solutions.
Step 2: Plan
Planning ahead can take time and may seem to be a burden, but the value of planning is a more than adequate return on your time investment. Planning can intercept the toxic worry and replace it with effective action. Here are some practices you can apply in advance.
Get the facts: Wise worry confronts real problems. Toxic worry exaggerates and misrepresents reality. Brooding about the "what-if" possibilities passively burns up your energy. So get active! Find out what the truth of the matter is. Go to the sources of information, and don't rely on hearsay, gossip, or your own vivid imagination.
Structure your life: Much worry results from unstructured living and thinking habits. A cluttered desk with files scattered about means wasted time finding the material you need and the risk of losing important information. In the same way, a mind cluttered with "what-if" possibilities can hide the "that-is" reality. Worried people typically spend more time and energy worrying than they do accomplishing productive tasks.
Structuring your life is being kind and considerate to yourself; organizing your desk helps you find things. Structuring your life reduces your risk of losing vital files, information, keys and also prevents you from losing perspective. Use structure as an anti-anxiety agent: lists, reminders, schedules, rules, and budgets are all methods of structuring your life for your own benefits.
Take the time to structure your space. For example, organize your desk. Use colored file folders with clear labels. Put your keys in the same spot every day. And organize your computer desktop and mailbox. Also structure your time.
Set goals. Decide what you want or need to accomplish in the coming week.
Prioritize your goals. Break them down into small, manageable activities.
Use a date book to avoid missing appointments and to stay on target.
Be fair to yourself. Make your plan for the week reasonable.
Match important activities to the times of your high-energy peaks -- the times of the day when you feel most alert and vigorous.
Save the simple, repetitive tasks for your low-energy periods.
Avoid getting involved in activities that don't match your goals.
Be sure to take breaks to restore energy -- stand up and stretch, take a short walk, or chat briefly with a colleague.
Step 3: Remediate
The next step is to find a remedy for toxic worry. Reason, planning, and action are powerful antidotes to the paralysis of stress and worry. Consider these guidelines.
Take direct action: If you've evaluated the problem and planned what you can do about it, then go ahead, take the plunge and just do it! Make the phone call, change your behavior, clean up that desk, connect with a friend, or confront that difficult colleague. Taking action is empowering. Your feeling of vulnerability and your toxic worry will fade.
Let it go: Why let go? No matter how much you may want to effect a change, some problems, can't be solved by any action on your part. You just have to wait and see how things turn out. Worrying about the matter won't help. For example, if your supervisor suddenly announces a major reorganization, you can't do anything about it until the event happens and you have more information about how it will affect you.
You just have to sit tight and wait. Or perhaps you're up for a big promotion, but you won't find out about the decision for a month. You will be better off in every way -- physically, emotionally, and mentally -- if you can let the worry go until later.
What does letting go mean? Letting go means giving up your sense of control, and this can be difficult to do. Often people feel that if they worry enough, they might affect the outcome. But in those cases and times when control doesn't help and worry only hurts, it's worth the effort to give up both worry and control.
How can you let worry go? Different people have different ways. Some find that meditation helps. Some listen to music or sing a song. Trying putting your worry in the palm of your hand and blowing it away. Close your eyes and imagine the worry putting on its coat and hat and walking slowly out of the room. The important thing for you is to say goodbye to useless worry.
5 Tips
Do a reality check: Find out whether your worry has any basis in fact. Toxic worry can distort the real situation. Check to make sure that things are really as bad as they seem. Even when there is an actual problem, it may be easier to solve than you think.
Never worry alone: Invite a friend to help as a listening partner. Sharing your worries with the right person can make you feel better by unloading the weight of worry. Just talking out loud about your concerns helps to sort them out and to clarify where your concerns may be valid and where you may be distorting the problem. The listener, at this point, needs simply to listen, rather than trying to solve your problems. Your goal here is to understand your own worry process and gain the power to find your own solutions.
Get help from the right sources: People who have the information you need. Often you don't have the information or tools necessary to attack a problem. Instead of worrying, take control by getting the help you need. Find out who the authority is and where you should look for answers.
Ask a friend for a hand: If you find the idea of organizing a cause for new worry, ask a friend or colleague -- someone whose desk is neat and who is never late to a meeting -- to give you a hand. Ask for help from more than one person; you may discover ideas and ways to structure your life that are actually easy and fun!
If it's out of your control: If there's nothing you can do about a problem (or nothing more, if you already worked on it) -- if it's simply out of your control -- you have to let the worry go. Blow it away, and start a new project, read a different book, walk another path.
For example, suppose you receive a team e-mail from your supervisor about the agenda for an upcoming budget review meeting. In the past, you've always been asked to present the target revenues for your department, but you have yet to be asked this year.
You feel a twist in your stomach, a sign that worry is creeping in. Your thoughts begin to speed up: "Why haven't I been asked? Did someone else get the assignment? Did I do a poor job last time? I must be an idiot! Am I being demoted or eased out?" Using the Evaluate-Plan-Remediate worry-intervention method, you can stop the worry as soon as you start to feel it taking over.
1. Evaluate: "Yes, I haven't yet been asked to present the projected revenues at the budget review meeting. That's all I know right now."
2. Plan: "I need to get information. I should contact my supervisor and ask her directly if she expects me to present this part of the budget."
3. Remediate: "I'll call my supervisor and make an appointment to see her in person."
This simple sequence can replace that sense of panic with an immediate evaluation of the situation and a plan for necessary action. If you can make this process a habit every time you feel that twist in your stomach or twinge in your head, you'll turn your worry into action.
Step 1: Evaluate
The key to evaluating the cause of the worry is to confront it. Don't ignore those little signals your body is giving you. They won't go away until you face what causes them. Use the following guidelines for this step.
Name the problem: Just giving a name to a problem can help reduce stress because by identifying the specific problem, you've already eliminated all other possibilities. Naming makes things more manageable. Discover the stress-creating pattern that describes your situation.
For example, do you take on too many responsibilities? Find it difficult to balance work and life issues? Work in the wrong job? Have problems with colleagues or supervisors? Procrastinate when a deadline looms?
Think constructively about the problem: this may seem like a difficult step, but all it takes is an honest examination of your own automatic worry process. It requires that you keep back and watch yourself in order to identify how your mind leaps from the bad news or perceived danger that triggers the worry to the "awfulizing" of the initial event. Apply these practices:
Examine your automatic thoughts. Monitor your automatic thoughts. What words pop into your mind? Write down the words and look at them more objectively. Often you can see how exaggerated they are. For example, do you use negative descriptors (idiot, stupid) against yourself?
Correct errors in logic. Next, examine your automatic thoughts for errors in logic. For example, why would your supervisor include you in the e-mail message about the budget meeting unless you had a role in that meeting? Your hasty assumption that you were being excluded in an error in logic.
Develop alternative hypotheses. Even though you may leap to the worst-case scenario, there may be other hypotheses that could explain the situation. Your supervisor may have assumed that you were working on the revenue report, or she may have a different task in mind for you.
Revise your fundamental assumptions about yourself and your work. Instead of calling yourself stupid and assuming that the disaster will certainly occur, start becoming your own best supporter. This may prove to be a difficult step to take because these fundamental assumptions can reflect ancient and deep-seated ways of looking at yourself and your world. However, if these assumptions are untrue and block constructive thoughts, they need to be replaced with healthier and more honest ones. The important thing is to discard the distortions that prevent your from achieving rational and productive solutions.
Step 2: Plan
Planning ahead can take time and may seem to be a burden, but the value of planning is a more than adequate return on your time investment. Planning can intercept the toxic worry and replace it with effective action. Here are some practices you can apply in advance.
Get the facts: Wise worry confronts real problems. Toxic worry exaggerates and misrepresents reality. Brooding about the "what-if" possibilities passively burns up your energy. So get active! Find out what the truth of the matter is. Go to the sources of information, and don't rely on hearsay, gossip, or your own vivid imagination.
Structure your life: Much worry results from unstructured living and thinking habits. A cluttered desk with files scattered about means wasted time finding the material you need and the risk of losing important information. In the same way, a mind cluttered with "what-if" possibilities can hide the "that-is" reality. Worried people typically spend more time and energy worrying than they do accomplishing productive tasks.
Structuring your life is being kind and considerate to yourself; organizing your desk helps you find things. Structuring your life reduces your risk of losing vital files, information, keys and also prevents you from losing perspective. Use structure as an anti-anxiety agent: lists, reminders, schedules, rules, and budgets are all methods of structuring your life for your own benefits.
Take the time to structure your space. For example, organize your desk. Use colored file folders with clear labels. Put your keys in the same spot every day. And organize your computer desktop and mailbox. Also structure your time.
Set goals. Decide what you want or need to accomplish in the coming week.
Prioritize your goals. Break them down into small, manageable activities.
Use a date book to avoid missing appointments and to stay on target.
Be fair to yourself. Make your plan for the week reasonable.
Match important activities to the times of your high-energy peaks -- the times of the day when you feel most alert and vigorous.
Save the simple, repetitive tasks for your low-energy periods.
Avoid getting involved in activities that don't match your goals.
Be sure to take breaks to restore energy -- stand up and stretch, take a short walk, or chat briefly with a colleague.
Step 3: Remediate
The next step is to find a remedy for toxic worry. Reason, planning, and action are powerful antidotes to the paralysis of stress and worry. Consider these guidelines.
Take direct action: If you've evaluated the problem and planned what you can do about it, then go ahead, take the plunge and just do it! Make the phone call, change your behavior, clean up that desk, connect with a friend, or confront that difficult colleague. Taking action is empowering. Your feeling of vulnerability and your toxic worry will fade.
Let it go: Why let go? No matter how much you may want to effect a change, some problems, can't be solved by any action on your part. You just have to wait and see how things turn out. Worrying about the matter won't help. For example, if your supervisor suddenly announces a major reorganization, you can't do anything about it until the event happens and you have more information about how it will affect you.
You just have to sit tight and wait. Or perhaps you're up for a big promotion, but you won't find out about the decision for a month. You will be better off in every way -- physically, emotionally, and mentally -- if you can let the worry go until later.
What does letting go mean? Letting go means giving up your sense of control, and this can be difficult to do. Often people feel that if they worry enough, they might affect the outcome. But in those cases and times when control doesn't help and worry only hurts, it's worth the effort to give up both worry and control.
How can you let worry go? Different people have different ways. Some find that meditation helps. Some listen to music or sing a song. Trying putting your worry in the palm of your hand and blowing it away. Close your eyes and imagine the worry putting on its coat and hat and walking slowly out of the room. The important thing for you is to say goodbye to useless worry.
5 Tips
Do a reality check: Find out whether your worry has any basis in fact. Toxic worry can distort the real situation. Check to make sure that things are really as bad as they seem. Even when there is an actual problem, it may be easier to solve than you think.
Never worry alone: Invite a friend to help as a listening partner. Sharing your worries with the right person can make you feel better by unloading the weight of worry. Just talking out loud about your concerns helps to sort them out and to clarify where your concerns may be valid and where you may be distorting the problem. The listener, at this point, needs simply to listen, rather than trying to solve your problems. Your goal here is to understand your own worry process and gain the power to find your own solutions.
Get help from the right sources: People who have the information you need. Often you don't have the information or tools necessary to attack a problem. Instead of worrying, take control by getting the help you need. Find out who the authority is and where you should look for answers.
Ask a friend for a hand: If you find the idea of organizing a cause for new worry, ask a friend or colleague -- someone whose desk is neat and who is never late to a meeting -- to give you a hand. Ask for help from more than one person; you may discover ideas and ways to structure your life that are actually easy and fun!
If it's out of your control: If there's nothing you can do about a problem (or nothing more, if you already worked on it) -- if it's simply out of your control -- you have to let the worry go. Blow it away, and start a new project, read a different book, walk another path.
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