We all know that many factors need to be considered when planning an event. And, we also know that trying to figure out all these, along with the most minuscule details, can easily drive almost anyone into a wall. So, before you reach that breaking point while on your pursuit of the perfect event, here are 10 different ways you can alleviate stress and prevent a burnout while planning an event.
☑ #1 Take a Breather
Well, the most obvious thing to do when you’re on the brink of pulling all your hair out is to take a step back and breathe. The best way to do this is to have a coffee and have a laugh with your friends and co-workers. Be sure to slip these breaks in after every few hours of hard work. That would definitely help lift the mood, not only for you, but for your team as well.
☑ #2 Take Care of Yourself
Often, when we’re wrapped up in setting up the stage, making sure the lighting is the correct brightness, ensuring that all the audio tools are in good condition and such, we tend to miss lunch and skip right to dinner. This is something that you should never do. Always take time for meals, get a glass of water from time to time and while you’re at it, pencil in a brisk walk. They may not be much, but they do help alleviate the stress.
☑ #3 Hire More Helping Hands
If you start thinking that things are a bit too much for you, maybe it’s time to get a few extra pairs of hands to get working on the extra chunk of work to be done. It may be a little bit costly to hire permanent staff to assist you so what you can do is try hiring interns who are currently pursuing event management, it would be a great opportunity for them to see what really goes down behind the scenes of an event.
☑ #4 Make Sure Everyone Knows What’s Going On
Of course, as an event planner, you have a vision of how your event should look like in the end. But sometimes, things get lost in the hierarchy of communication and passed-on messages, so some things may not turn out the way they were meant to be. Seeing this, you may want to do everything on your own. Stop! Instead, talk to your staff, send them message notes on how you’d like the final result to be and get them to send you updates from time to time. This way, you can prevent mistakes beforehand and if they do happen, you can fix them before too much damage is done.
☑ #5 Manage Expectations on Both Ends
The thing is, you don’t want to make the mistake of overpromising. On the other hand, you wouldn’t want your clients calling you at midnight, asking for the most preposterous things to be made available at their event. It is always better to clarify what will be planned and executed during the event. This way, your client will have a solid idea of what they’ll be seeing on the day of their event and at the same time, you’ll have a good picture of what you’ll need and what to do.
☑ #6 Sought Help from Software
There is a myriad of event planning software selections out there that you can use as a tool to keep track of things and make sure everything is in order. Aside from that, you can also use such tools to plan and manage your budgets, build guest lists, monitor the progress of tasks and even keep in touch with your team through built-in messaging apps. This way, you’ll have everything you need aggregated in a single place and you’ll be able to prioritize things as you go, keeping the workflow smooth.
☑ #7 Automate Anything & Everything
Everything that you feel you can automate, go ahead and do so. Things like sending digital invitations, task notifications, event reminders, and guest signups, all these can be done with just a touch of a button, even scheduled ahead with some software. Not only does this save you time and cost of manpower, you will also reduce the amount of human error involved and at the same, avoid a situation where an important task slips out of mind.
☑ #8 Silence Your Inner Critic
Sometimes, we can be the bad guy to ourselves. You may be tempted to hear your inner critic out and do everything a little better, but it is always best to stick to the original plan, unless the change will give your event a ginormous upgrade and is necessary from all standpoints. Too many unwarranted changes not only throw the whole workflow and team dynamics off, it may also not turn out as expected. So, it is always to have everything pre-planned and stick to it.
☑ #9 Stick to a Schedule
Things in event planning can have you getting carried away with work, so much so that it begins to affect your work and life balance. Well, that’s how it is in the events industry, work just never ends. But, it is up to you to section off your time for your family as well as your own well-being. Create a work-home schedule that helps you plan your work and personal time. It also helps to have a planner so that you can jot down any changes or special tasks that need to be done on certain days. That way, you’ll always be able to slot in a break, when you need one.
☑ #10 Make it Fun
Work doesn’t ever have to be a chore. If your team has been working on setting up things for three-days straight, surprise them with some pizza. Or, you can let team members take turns to play their favorite songs while working so that it keeps them energized and upbeat. This way, everyone will get into their groove while having a good time and you’ll get work done efficiently in absolutely no time at all.
Event planning can feel like a bit of a rush and frenzy sometimes, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. Burnouts can hit you and your team if you’re not careful and no event planner would ever want something like that. Especially when they want everything to be perfect in time for the event. Hopefully, these 10 ways on how to prevent a burnout would give you an idea of what to do for your next event planning spree. Good luck!
