"This question brings me back to a particular week a few years ago. It was late fall, and the holiday shopping season was ramping up. Our store was very short-staffed due to maternity leave and two employees leaving on short notice. It took a full team effort to ensure that customer questions were answered, shelves were stocked, and registers weren't getting backed up. To stay organized, the small team we had on staff worked off of a checklist each day to ensure we weren't missing anything important. Constant communication and flexibility were key to our success as we continually helped each other with important things throughout the day. At the end of each day, I took a lot of satisfaction in knowing that I kept my head focused and did a great job."

"Over the past four years, my department has cut staff by almost 50% while the overall amount of work has remained steady. This has led to my total duties doubling over four years. While this has been very overwhelming and even detrimental to others I work with, I have been able to handle the stress. The best thing I do is set time aside at the end of each day to recap what I've done and plan what to handle the next day. Some of my colleagues can't believe I set aside 30 minutes to plan, but I know that making a plan saves me considerable time in the long run and makes me more productive. When I feel overwhelmed, I take some personal time during a break to step away and get some fresh air. A quick 10-minute walk outside really helps refresh me for another half day of work."