Auto shops can get very busy, in particular during the icy winter season when collisions are more common and slips and slides cause damage. Jobs rolling in means more business for the shop, which isn’t a bad thing. However, it can get tricky trying to keep up with a busy season without burning yourself out or losing track of what needs to get done. If you’re looking forward to your career working with cars, you’ll want to use these tips to ensure you can keep your enthusiasm and energy up long-term.
Read on for some ways to manage demanding times as a mechanic!
Keep your Shop Spic and Span in your Auto Mechanic Career
Staying organized and keeping things neat means you won’t be scrambling for the right tool when the time comes. Organize your tools in a way that best serves you for efficiency and cleanliness. Put the items you use most often in the most accessible places and make sure you can locate everything. This saves you time and keeps your blood pressure from skyrocketing.
Picking up after jobs keeps dangerous objects off the floor that could trip you or other employees. A twisted ankle does you no favours when you’re running on a tight schedule, juggling the responsibilities of an auto mechanic career. Even a fallen-over broom or mop can cause serious injuries. You’ll also be able to clean up quicker after spills if you can see the floor and nothing is lying around that you don’t need at the moment.
Finally, even if you’re tempted to rush to the next job, cleaning up after yourself as you go will save you time in the long run and keep you from misplacing your wrench or lucky hat.
Use Good Old Fashioned Pen and Paper
It’s estimated that the average person can hold about 7 items in their short-term memory at a time. What’s more, when under stress due to a busy schedule, your brain may struggle to create short-term memories. To-do lists, planners, notes, and written measurements and calculations will give your brain a dumping ground to store important points.
In addition to keeping you on track, writing things down can help you feel less overwhelmed with information. Students in mechanic schools know there can be a lot of things to keep in mind when repairing cars. The less cluttered your mind is, the more relaxed and focused you’ll be when working through your day.
Take Breaks for a Sustainable Auto Mechanic Career
No matter how passionate you are about your career, you can still get burnt out if you don’t rest enough. To perform at your full potential, you need pockets of time to recoup both physically and mentally. When working on more tedious tasks, your ability to focus decreases the longer you work. Taking a break can allow you to jump back into a particularly tricky job with fresh eyes and renewed energy.
Deep breathing and extended exhales have a calming effect and help protect you from becoming overstressed. Use break time to practise this, hydrate, stretch, and make sure you’re well-fed. Do something that puts you in a positive mood, so you can return to work optimistic and refreshed.
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