Navigating data input and keeping my stress level down

[jklenoff]

Does anyone (in any industry, but I guess people who work a lot with financial technology are what come to mind) know how to deal with multiple data input sources (e.g. four instant messages, Bloomberg screens, and a conference call all going on at the same time) and still maintain your cool? What best practices are there for that?

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JK

[MarinaMartin]

Deep breathing and ample caffeine?

What IM program do you use? I use Adium (Mac OS X), which not only logs my conversations for future reference but also allows me to keep multiple conversations open in tabs instead of separate windows. I keep Growl (Mac OS X) open and it pops up a little bubble for each new conversation piece so I can quickly see if something needs responding to or not.

I also LOVE Spaces (also for Mac OS X), which allows you to switch between multiple screens. This makes toggling between programs a LOT easier.

This may sound trite, but really mastering keyboard shortcuts has made my life a lot easier, no matter how crazy the client's office is that I'm in. Since I've gotten to the point where I use most every shortcut available without thinking about it, I can navigate between windows and perform a number of tasks in a lot less time with a lot less stress.

Marina

[dschaffner]

how to deal with multiple data input sources (e.g. four instant messages, Bloomberg screens, and a conference call all going on at the same time) and still maintain your cool? What best practices are there for that?

I've found it's very hard to process text information (i.e. reading email, IM'ing with my kids) while still paying attention to conference calls. I can do light web browsing if it's not a very stimulating call

I'm able to work from home and do find that I can wash dishes and do light yard work while teleconferencing (on mute of course).

My best practice is to try not to multi-task

- Don