Good time management at work will allow you to have more leisure time to dedicate to yourself and your loved ones.
The first time I had to work remotely was a complete and utter disaster. I would start the morning as usual. I would shower, get dressed, find a place to sit comfortably and start working as if I were in an office. But then, I would see a stain on the table, which (of course) I had to clean. Then, the dust. And the dirty clothes. And lunch. The list kept growing until I realized that I hadn't been productive at all, but had been engaged in chores around the house. It's funny because I don't even like to do it, but procrastination had taken over and I would end up staying up late to finish what I should have done during the day.
Today there are endless guides and manuals to help remote workers get organized in a better and structured way. But what about mental health? What are some of the most common problems that end up stressing people out while working remotely? How can we overcome them to lead a calmer life?
Yes, you can practice daily deep muscle relaxation techniques or meditation and feel at peace for about 20 to 30 minutes. But if you're on a treadmill the rest of the day, you're likely to build up - and stay under - stress, which can lead to chronic anxiety or panic attacks and, ultimately, burnout.
Dr. Edmund J. Bourne has specialized for two decades in the treatment of anxiety disorders and related problems. His book"The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook" is a practical step-by-step guide to relaxation, exercise, nutrition and many other effective tips. Based on his work, here are some points to know and keep in mind to avoid stress and anxiety, whether you work remotely or not.
Time off - or downtime - is exactly what it sounds like: time away from work for other responsibilities for a chance to rest and refuel. Without periods of downtime, any stress you experience while engaged in work or other responsibilities tends to accumulate. It's a snowball effect. Sleeping at night doesn't really count as downtime. It needs to be planned during the day, in addition to sleeping.
First of all, it is important to overcome workaholism . Workaholism is an addictive disorder in which work is the only thing that gives you a sense of inner fulfillment and self-worth. It is an unbalanced way of life that often leads first to chronic stress, then burnout, and finally serious illness.
Once you are aware that life does not revolve around work, you need to develop smart time management skills to organize your day (and your life) in a better way.
Time management describes how daily activities are organized or restructured over time. Ineffective time management can lead to stress, anxiety, burnout and, ultimately, illness. Developing good time management may require giving up some cherished habits.
You may find it helpful to divide your daily tasks and responsibilities into three categories: essential, important, and less important or trivial. When you wake up in the morning, try to classify the tasks ahead of you as essential, important or less important . I advise you to postpone all tasks in the less important column to give yourself more free time in your day.
It means being willing to let someone else take over a task or activity that is a lower priority or is an important task that you don't have to do personally.
Often, delegating means giving someone else what you could do yourself if you had unlimited time, e.g., cleaning the house, washing the car, cooking, childcare, basic repairs, etc. Think about distributing tasks equally among family members. The key to delegation is a willingness to trust in the abilities of others. Give up the idea that only you can do an adequate job and be willing to entrust responsibility for a task to someone else.
A common problem is underestimating the amount of time needed to complete a task. As a general rule, it helps to allow a little more time than you expect for each activity of the day. Allowing a little more time has a huge payoff, as it allows you to move through your day at a more relaxed and easier pace.
Perfectionism can keep you on the wheel of overwork or extra dedication, to the point of leaving no free time for your own needs. It also means learning to laugh once in a while instead of despairing over the limitations inherent in human existence.
Procrastination is always counterproductive when you leave yourself little time. Putting off the inevitable can weigh you down and stress you out in the end. One of the reasons for procrastinating may be that you really don't want to do whatever it is that needs to be done in the first place. The solution lies in delegating or prioritizing. If you can delegate, do it. If you can't, do the undesirable task first.
Another reason for procrastination is perfectionism. Sometimes we procrastinate because we fear we can't get it right. The solution in this case is to dive in and get started. An important principle to remember is that motivation usually follows behavior. The mere fact of starting the task usually generates the motivation to follow through and complete it.
You may have difficulty setting boundaries, even when their demands or needs become more than you can handle. If your job is who you are, then you may find it hard to say no to work demands so you can devote time to your personal needs.
✅ Remember: taking care of yourself is not selfish . Can you really offer your best to others - or to your work - if you are tired, stressed orburned out?
Don't wait for illness to be the catalyst that slows you down. Pay attention to your state of mind and learn to live in a simpler and more balanced way.
Who hasn't experienced it...that desire to do things perfectly paralyzes us, and we end up kicking them and procrastinating with other less relevant tasks, and we see how they accumulate and anxiety arrives...and then stress, which can lead to burnout.
To avoid burnout at work we must dedicate more leisure time to our lives. Keep in mind that WORK IS NOT EVERYTHING, and that it is a means to enjoy time with those you love the most, starting with ourselves.
A good time management at work will allow you to have more leisure time to dedicate to you and your loved ones, which will help you to perform better and better in your work. It is very important to develop good communication with your work team, Learn to delegate tasks, ask for help and notify in a timely manner when you find yourself in a bottleneck that does not allow you to move forward. How can you begin to generate this constructive cycle? You can start by completing the tasks you have pending (and that you have probably been kicking around for a while), no matter if they are perfect...just do them, and you will see how your anxiety levels will go down, you will feel fulfilled and much more at peace.
This article originally appeared on the Get on Board blog.
Edited by
Raquel Rojas
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Let's transform our perception of failure and use it as a catalyst for growth.
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