Boundaries Between Work and Life
Boundaries Have Been Set and Sanity Kept
Boundaries between work and life must be established, but how do you do that if you work in a stressful and time consuming job?
First, let’s discuss how to streamline your work life in order to reduce stress, save time and set boundaries.
Arrive Early
If you can do it, arrive at your workplace at least 15-20 minutes early. This allows you to set up your computer, look over your work for the day and begin, hopefully, before your supervisor arrives. Arriving early is a great stress reliever and it does show the employer that you care.
Organization/Streamlining
One way to reduce stress and at the same time become more efficient is to streamline the way you work everyday. Here’s how you do just that:
Do you use a “To Do” list?
If not, you need to create a list of the tasks you need to perform everyday and then check each one off when you complete it. The sense of accomplishment you’ll feel will be amazing when you look down the list to see just how much you completed in one day!
My preference is to use an Excel spreadsheet for the “To Do” list. If you’re not familiar with Excel but do have access to this software, I would recommend that you play around with it and then look for a video how-to video on YouTube. Why I like Excel for this task is simple: you can easily sort the dates to see what is due next.
Easy, right?
Lunch Breaks
Take them. Seriously. Once you begin working through your lunch hour, the employer will begin to expect you to continue. If you’re already doing this, it’s time to reverse this unhealthy habit. It’s an important boundary to set for yourself.
Lunch breaks are necessary. Try meeting some friends for a quick lunch or simply get away by yourself and relax. You’ll return to work refreshed.
List of Accomplishments for the Week
Cut and paste the items on your “To Do” list that you have finished and place those items into this document. Leave the document on your desk for your employer to see.
Leaving Work on Time
Try to leave at the normal quitting time, if possible. It’s important to put in a full, productive day at your current job, however, it’s also vitally important to protect your personal/family time.
It’s called balance. And that’s a good thing.
Set those work/life boundaries and you’ll develop good habits that will benefit both your employer and your family.
Please post your comments below. I would love to hear from you.
