12 Tips to Alleviate Stress in Event Planning

Being an event planner can be an exciting and rewarding career, but it can also be incredibly stressful. When you're juggling multiple tasks, managing staff and suppliers, and dealing with last-minute changes, it's easy to get overwhelmed. That's why it's essential to be familiar with ways to control stress to ensure your well-being and that of your team. To help you out, we've put together a list of 12 tips to alleviate stress in event planning.

Tips to Alleviate Stress in Event Planning

According to the State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report by Gallup, stress levels among global workers remained significantly high despite the decline in other unfavorable emotions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also suggests that the ongoing economic recovery may be the reason behind such elevated stress levels. 

While economies are seeing a positive turn as experts anticipate low but steady employment growth and a decline in inflation rates in 2024, stress in many industries, including the events sector, remains inevitable. As a matter of fact, a 2024 report by Medium cites being an event coordinator or planner as one of the top 9 stressful jobs and careers. 

As a planner or employer in the events industry, it's impossible to completely eliminate stress in your line of work. However, there are several measures you can take to protect the mental well-being of your staff. Below, we'll go over each of these preventative measures in detail. Some may be obvious, but they still need to be said.

1. Plan Ahead 

If you want to feel more in control of the event planning process and reduce the likelihood of stress and anxiety, planning ahead can be extremely beneficial. Planning ahead allows you to have a clear plan so you can analyze your priorities and finish your tasks on time. Additionally, it provides you more time to address any potential issues that may arise. This helps you avoid last-minute rushes that can generate stress and potentially affect overall event execution.

Planning ahead is not just a healthy practice in event planning but also in life in general. A study suggests that people who combine proactive coping and high mindfulness can better handle daily stress. Proactive coping means planning ahead to avoid future stress, while mindfulness means staying calm and present during a stressful event.

2. Delegate Tasks 

Delegating tasks is a great strategy to reduce stress while planning an event. By assigning responsibilities to your team members, you can reduce your workload and prioritize the most important tasks. Delegation also enables a better allocation of resources and ensures that everyone has a role to play in making the event a success. Additionally, it helps you meet deadlines efficiently by avoiding overburdening one person with all the work.

If you find it difficult to delegate tasks, you may want to consider applying the 70% rule. This rule suggests that if an employee can perform the job at least 70% as satisfactorily as you can, you should delegate the task to them. Another strategy to consider is delegating tasks that you're not good at and those that you don't enjoy doing. You may also choose to delegate the tasks that you want others to learn and that others should learn to make your event planning more productive. 

3. Set Realistic Expectations

Unrealistic expectations are a common factor that can cause stress and other psychological issues in an individual. They create a high-pressure work environment and evoke feelings of failure or inadequacy. To address this, there is no better thing to do than setting realistic expectations. It’s important to establish reasonable deadlines, budgets, and goals for your team members. Through this, the risk of burnout is significantly reduced, and employees can feel more confident in their ability to achieve success.

4. Take Breaks

Taking breaks can make all the difference in managing stress and staying focused and productive when planning an event. As a matter of fact, numerous studies have revealed that taking breaks can be highly advantageous for both you and your work. Micro-breaks, lunchtime breaks, and even longer breaks have all demonstrated a positive correlation with well-being and productivity. To ensure that you and your staff get your most needed breaks, it is recommended to set aside specific times throughout the day to step away from your work and do something that helps you relax. 

5. Provide Staff With the Resources They Need

One of the most important things you can do to alleviate stress in event planning is to provide your team members with the resources they need to fulfill their tasks. These resources can include digital devices such as computers or event management apps like StaffConnect. These resources will not only help them work more efficiently and effectively but empower them to collaborate seamlessly on projects, leading to a supportive and motivated crew. 

Some other resources you can provide your team members are mental health resources like stress management programs. These resources can assist employees in maintaining a healthy mental state. They can also teach them how to manage their stress in productive and healthy ways, such as through exercise and mindfulness techniques. 

6. Encourage Open Communication

The power of communication should never be underestimated when it comes to managing stress in event planning. It is essential to encourage your team members to communicate their concerns and provide support when needed. Through this, you can foster a safe and supportive work environment and make employees feel comfortable opening up about their stress levels and asking for help when needed. Not only can this reduce event planning stress, but also helps you better understand the needs of your staff.

7. Stay Hydrated

Besides physical and mental exercises, staying hydrated can help in managing stress. According to a report by WebMD, which included statements from Amanda Carlson, RD, director of performance nutrition at Athletes' Performance, a trainer of world-class athletes, studies have shown even a slight dehydration of half a litre can result in an increase in cortisol levels. Cortisol is one of the stress hormones that can cause anxiety and stress. Maintaining proper hydration levels can help reduce cortisol and, consequently, stress levels.

8. Provide Training and Development Opportunities 

Training and development opportunities are beneficial for both you and your event staff. When you offer training and development opportunities to your staff, it helps them acquire the essential knowledge and understanding of their job roles and upgrade their existing skills. This enables them to perform their tasks more effectively and efficiently, leading to better quality of work, increased confidence, and reduced stress levels. As a manager or employer, you also gain highly skilled staff who can bring in more revenue, increased productivity, and a competitive advantage in the events world. 

If you're interested in learning more about the benefits of training and development of employees, feel free to check out our full blog post on why you should invest in employee training and development here.

9. Offer Fair Compensation

Low salaries continue to be the primary cause of stress in the workplace, as per the work and well-being survey conducted by the American Psychological Association. The best solution to address this issue is to offer fair compensation.

When employees are paid fairly and feel that they are being compensated adequately for their work, it can boost their confidence and morale. This, in turn, can result in higher job satisfaction and a sense of security in their work. Employees who are satisfied with their compensation are also less likely to feel stressed about their financial situation.

10. Hire Reliable Suppliers 

Hiring reliable suppliers can have a positive impact on reducing stress in event planning. When you have trustworthy suppliers, you can ensure that your event will run smoothly without any last-minute cancellations or delays, which can reduce the stress of unexpected problems. Moreover, reliable suppliers can provide high-quality products or services, which can increase the success of the event and ease concerns about low-quality output. 

11. Conduct a Test Run

As an event planner, you probably already know that executing successful events without a test run can be a challenge. Conducting a test run before the actual event ensures that all necessary parts of event planning have been covered, ultimately reducing stress during the planning and execution stages. A test run can also give you a better understanding of the timing and flow of the program, which can make the actual event more organized and less stressful

12. Identify the Signs of Stress and Address Possible Stressors Immediately

One of the key steps in preventing stress in event planning is to identify its signs as soon as possible. According to the Mental Health Foundation, some of the common signs of stress include: 

• Feelings of constant worry or anxiety
• Feelings of being overwhelmed
• Difficulty concentrating
• Mood swings or changes in mood
• Irritability or having a short temper
• Difficulty relaxing
• Depression
• Low self-esteem

If you notice any signs of stress in your team members, it is essential to address them promptly and find out the possible stressors that have been causing them. By doing so, you can foster a more positive work environment where your staff can feel supported, valued, and less stressed. 

Reduce Event Planning Stress With an All-In-One Event Management App

Do you want to make event planning less stressful than ever? If so, you may want to take time to learn about StaffConnect. 

StaffConnect is an event management app that can help reduce stress in event planning by offering a centralized event task and staff management platform. Our app boasts of its automation and streamlining capabilities, which can help eliminate the need for manual, repetitive tasks and reduce the risk of errors. With StaffConnect, you can easily delegate tasks, track progress, and communicate with event staff in real time. 

Eager to learn more about StaffConnect? Make sure to book your free demo here.