Home is where the heart is. And if you have a stressful job, it is also where the stress is vented. There is a certain amount of stress associated with a day at the office, whatever your office happens to be. Your job is to do a particular task that solves a problem for the company. In that sense, you are drowning in problems for 8 hours a day.
The stress is not just the problems that have to be solved, but the responsibility you take on. If you don’t get your job done, some critical thing is left undone. If that spill isn’t mopped up in a timely manner, someone might slip and fall. That will cause injury to an innocent person, and cost the company compensation for that broken arm and leg.
Every job is important enough for a number of higher ups to have approved paying someone to do it. The fact that they chose you as opposed to someone else means that you have a personal responsibility to get the job done well. That is a lot of pressure put on you by the job, and by yourself. Here are a few ways to keep from bringing that pressure home:
Wash it Off at the Office
One of the consequences of pressure is sweat, sometimes, excessive sweat. That sticky, grimy, wetness in your shirt and socks is a physical manifestation of all the stress you have accumulated throughout the day.
If your company has a shower, use it before you leave the office. Change into a fresh shirt and clean socks so that you don’t take that stress with you on the subway and into your home to overwhelm your family.
You can also deal with sweaty pits and sweaty feet at the source. You can use antiperspirant towelette or sprays to cut down on the sweat. You can also use moisture wicking undershirts and socks to keep sweat from absorbing into your clothes.
If there is no shower, you can still stop by the restroom and wash off before you leave the office. It is not only about removing offensive odors. It is about freeing yourself from a rather annoying physical reminder of just how stressful your day was. You have the option to go home without that physical reminder.
Fall in Love with Your Job All over Again
There must have been a time when you were in love with your job. It is easy to forget that time when every day is a grind. It is also a chore when others around you seem to be disgruntled. The job becomes something you endure and survive. Consider the following:
• You do not have the worst job in the world.
• Billions of people on the planet would happily take your place.
• Your job is important enough for someone to pay you to do it.
• Your family is proud of you for doing that job every day and making a life for them.
You can’t change the job. But you can change yourself and your orientation toward that job. When you do, you will come home with less frustration from the job, and more pride from doing the job.
Commit to Family Time
The tempting thing to do is come home and crash for a few hours after work, or lock yourself away from everyone while trying to mentally recover on your own. But all that does is create a feedback loop with you reliving all the worst moments of your workday.
One way to deal with that feedback loop is to never let it start in the first place. Instead of walling yourself off from the people who love you, spend time with the kids. Devote an hour before bed watching TV with the family. It doesn’t matter if you like the show. Your strength and renewal comes from family, not self-absorption.
Not everyone has the luxury of turning their beloved hobbies into a sustainable income. Sometimes work is just a grind for a paycheck. But you can keep that stress at the office by washing away the physical manifestations of stress, falling in love with your job all over again, and committing to family time after work instead of locking yourself away.
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Friday, July 20, 2018
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