Are you stuck in the middle?
Are you in the middle of raising young kids and caring for aging parents? How have your responsibilities changed over the past 26 + months?
Let’s face it…we all have responsibilities, whether caring for children or elderly parents or pursuing personal interests, activities, or hobbies. Now, we should be equipped to balance our work and our lives. If you are feeling the squeeze from being caught in the middle, you are stressed, and you need relief…NOW. Here’s how to jumpstart the process!
Identify your needs
Identify the stressors in your life and jot down the top three. What are the triggers? Is it health, money, work, relationships, or a combination of each of these things?
Identify your own needs and act. Know when you need help, and how to seek and ask for it. Be available for what matters most, then prioritize and delegate to others within your space to lighten your load.
Identify coping mechanisms. If you are not already teleworking, consider starting the process. Take time for self-care; self-care is not selfish. Be sure that you eat healthy meals, get a good night’s sleep, hydrate, and start moving.
Take control
With a balance between work and home, comes greater control of where your focus remains. If you are still working in a conventional on-site, but socially distanced location, leave your work at the office; your full attention will be on your home life and giving your relationships the time, and attention they deserve.
For some of you, that might mean changing from street clothes into work clothes when you arrive for your shift. If you are working remotely, it means getting dressed (at least) from the waist up to appear presentable during your online meetings or calls.
When spending time with your partner, children, friends, or aging parents, your mind should be solely focused on the experience you are having. If those connections are remote, via a screen, it is more important than ever to remain engaged, listen with intention, and respond.
You are only as good as you are balanced. If you do not take the time for yourself, you won’t be the best you can be, and the situation will overwhelm you.
“By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day.”
Robert Frost
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