"If you ever feel overwhelmed by the tasks required at home and at work, you"re not alone. It"s very common to feel like we"re being pulled in ten different directions, and trying to meet all those demands can cause significant stress.
We all need time for the activities and people we love in order to enjoy life, but taking a vacation isn"t always possible. Here are 4 strategies you can use to align your lifestyle and work responsibilities.
Create Visual Lists
When the tasks start to pile up, stress and anxiety increases. If your list of "things to do" is just in your head, you risk missing important items and you can overwhelm yourself by trying to constantly remember everything.
Sit down and write out a list of the tasks you must accomplish, one day at a time. Make a box next to each one so you can experience the gratification of checking off each thing you"ve done.
Visual planning helps to take the worry from your mind and stay focused.
Monitor your "Work" Talk
You"re finally off of work and ready to spend time with family and friends. Do you find that this wonderful time is often just filled with discussions about work? Bringing your work discussions home means that you"re really not off work, even after you"ve clocked out.
"Work Talk" can bring frustrations out of the office and into the living room, reducing your ability to relax. Allow yourself 30 minutes for talking about work, then put a lid on it. You"ll express what"s important but also devote attention to healthy interactions at home.
Disconnect from your Devices
For all of the entertainment and news smartphones can supply, if they"re used too much they sap energy and distract you from things that you need to get done. Digital devices are also a connection to the office, and checking work emails and messages brings stress when you should be relaxing.
If taking time off from your phone is daunting, try starting with just 30 minutes of being unavailable. If you"re worried about missing calls, tell the people that are most important that your phone will be off for a short time. Put your phone on airplane mode, or shut it off altogether, and focus on doing what"s important. Spend time with people you love or devote your full attention to a good book or hobby you enjoy.
Ask for Support
The term Work life balance is a little intimidating. We all strive for it, but the demands of our careers and social life will always result in some stress. The key to achieving a balance is having support from people that want you to succeed.
When you tell your coworkers, family, and friends that you"re working to improve the way you handle your work and lifestyle goals, they"ll understand the reasons behind the changes to your schedule or availability. Improving your health or personal relationships are admirable goals, and you"ll probably find that people want to help you along the way.
When juggling all of your responsibilities gets to be overwhelming, or when anxiety seems to stop you from getting things done, connect with our staff if you feel like talking to a professional would be helpful. Our clinical staff has even more strategies for helping you work through busy, stressful times."
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