Separate Work From Family Life
In many ways, from round-the-clock emails and text messages, it seems like we’re always on call.
As a marketer, clients expect you to be available at the stroke of their keyboard. And that can impact your productivity, as well as your family life.
As an entrepreneur, working from home, you can often work long hours, and being at ‘the ready’ for every client’s needs can be, to say the least, very stressful and exhausting.
So the question is: can you separate work from home life?
Good question.
For me, it is almost impossible to separate the two. Being aware of this reality is key to managing the constant interruptions that manifest into stress.
Focus On Family
So just how does one manage stress?
I tried setting aside specific times at night to focus on family, setting a 24-hour reply policy for emails, but at times it was virtually impossible to separate work from family time, especially when a client had, in their mind, “an emergency.” With today’s technology, you are compelled to respond – almost in real-time.
What’s the first rule to good customer service and customer retention? Oh yes, “…the client is always right.”
It wasn’t long before I was burned out, fed up, depressed, and ridden with anxiety.
Experts suggest the answer is meditation or taking a few moments to decompress.
One type of meditation encourages the practice of quieting the mind to bring forth clarity so that you can sort through all the clutter in your mind, allowing you to spend your time cultivating and appreciating things instead of feeling overwhelmed or confused. It is a mindful practice of being aware of the present moment. It demands of you to be truly present and at one with those around you and with what you are doing.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
To learn how to manage my stress, I decided to sign up for an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.
Through the practice of mindfulness to reduce stress, I realized that the hole I was in was of my own making. I was caught up in all the things I felt I had to do. I felt I had no time to do anything for myself because that would be selfish and self-focused. I was allowing stress to take control of my life.
I’ll admit, it is not easy to develop the habit of being in the now, while at the same time acknowledging all those thoughts floating in and out of your consciousness, moment to moment. Being mindful is hard work!
I’ve not hit a home run yet, but as I practice mindfulness for ten to fifteen minutes each day, I am slowly learning to unwind, and take time for myself – guilt-free!
Today, I have a new tool to work with when work, family, and life gets tough. Life isn’t perfect, but it has become easier for me to be in the moment, to get in touch with my happy side, and my own sense of being.
I’m not afraid to admit it: mindfulness is my life-saver.
So sit back, relax, shoulders down, close your eyes, and let your breath be your anchor. Let your thoughts come and go, that’s being mindful.
How do you deal with stress in your life?
“In today’s rush, we all think too much, seek too much, want too much, and forget about the joy of just being.”
-Eckhart Tolle
Meditation is a habit that may come easily to some. I have been meditating for over five years, but there were many days I found myself slipping. These days, not so much, not since I completed the no-cost Action Habits Challenge by Connie Ragen Green, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, independent publisher, and serial entrepreneur. You can check it out here.
If you’re interested in revitalizing your life through meditation and would like to learn a virtually risk-free, and cost-effective practice, that people of all ages can do with a little patience and guidance and that will serve you for the rest of your life, I would love to connect with you. You can connect with me here.
I’m Donna SLam, who loves to blog about how meditation brings self-compassion, peace of mind, and clarity to my life and others by sharing tips and strategies on how to live a fulling and purposeful life. I enjoy championing others to lead a healthy and happy life through meditation, walking, self-development, and spending time with loved ones.
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