“A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17 v 22
Work is a place where we go and meet others and work towards a common goal of a company or ourselves if we are self-employed. We spend a great deal of our life in work. It can be a great source of satisfaction and also a great source of stress depending on the environment and relationships we encounter. Work pays the bills, satisfies a need, provides security, an income. It can also be a place to feel valued, where we find meaning and purpose. However, if we are working long hours or have relationship difficulties in work and cannot meet the demands of our personal life, and our own core values then this can become overwhelming and is not sustainable. There are many things in our working life we cannot control but we can reduce the impact with an awareness of our needs and meeting those needs to create balance.
- A good morning routine is essential to get your working day off to a good start. Make some space from your waking moment every morning to arrive at the day and breath. Don’t think about the rest of the day ahead until you have had time to fully wake, stretch, breath, and hydrate.
- Pace your days with small breaks where you stop momentarily and come into full present moment awareness -noticing your surroundings, how you feel, where you are. Take a longer break for lunch.
- Have a good social support system either both work and at home. This means choosing to surround yourself with people you feel comfortable with, share similar interests with, and who you feel valued with. In work this includes people who understand the challenges of your job.
- Prioritise your workload and organise it.
- Try to avoid huge impossible lists as these can be overwhelming and this can affect productivity. Once you have a list then break that list into three parts essential good to do can be carried over. Order and prioritise your workload into those three parts draw a line between each segment so that your focus is drawn to the top section only which will look and feel much more manageable and allows for the inevitable interruptions of ‘unexpected work that comes along such as a phone call requiring an immediate reply and action.
- Bring issues that are causing stress or anxiety and difficulty into the open in a compassionate focused way. Communicate your needs mindfully and consider how your communication will be received. Take time to consider what outcome would serve everyone well. This will help you to frame your communication in a positive non-threatening way that is clearly understood.
- Exercise regularly, eat healthily, and practice sleep hygiene. You can find further information on sleeping well here and here.
- Breathe – you cannot be angry or anxious and breath deeply at the same time. Take a deep breath in -inhale- to the count of four, hold the breath to the count of four and breath slowly out to the count of about six to eight-so a long slow out breath – exhale
- Take holidays and breaks away from work regularly
- Avoid coping strategies such as drinking to excess. Practice exercise and relaxation exercises instead.
- Seek out retreats and quiet time in nature.
- Have a hobby or interest that fully absorbs your attention in the moment enabling you to be mindful and at ease.