It’s after 7 pm on a Sunday night. My partner – who is, incidentally, also my husband – is wrestling with CSS for a client’s website that is due today. That client is on the East Coast, where it’s 10 pm. The clock is ticking.
I need Diet Coke, reassurance, and a way to extend the 24 hour day into a 36 hour one, preferably without anyone noticing.
My partner needs a personal assistant, an in-house programmer, and a tall lemonade. So far, we’re 0 for 6.
What’s the best way to handle work stress when you have to take your work home with you, every night?
It’s a classic question for entrepreneurs, workaholics and professionals whose jobs don’t end at 5 pm. (Or 7 pm, or 2 am – you get the picture.) As a relatively new business owner – and a lifelong workaholic – the stress and difficulty associated with separating “life” from “work” is growing more and more daunting to me, every day.
How do I handle it?
- STOP FOR A MINUTE. And by a minute, I mean 1 out of every 60 minutes of each hour. Get up from the desk. Pace, jog down the block, or splash cold water on your face. I’m sure some fitness-savvy folks can chime in with those specific exercises us desk-chained professionals are supposed to do to keep blood flowing to our extremities, too.
- PUT UP A DIVIDER BETWEEN WORK AND HOME LIFE. Especially if you work with your spouse: if necessary, preface a conversation with a brief explanation. Such as: “This is Work Lindsey channeling Work Hubby. I need that client info in 10 minutes or we’re dead. Now, this is your wife: are you going to wash the dishes, or are they planning to wash themselves?”
- ON THAT NOTE: Just kidding about the dishes. If you work in close concert with a family member, try to be uniformly positive (or at least neutral) when mixing work and personal conversations. Why? Because then one version of the family member – your employee or your relative – is going to feel abused. If your husband, pet, boyfriend or mother is late with a work deliverable, it doesn’t mean you get to punish him/her/it in your personal interactions. (Insert hubby cheering, “Heck yeah!” at this point.)
- SET GOALS YOU CAN ACTUALLY MEET. A goal is not just a benchmark designed for a client or employer, it’s also a useful way of monitoring your own progress. Set reasonable goals, meet them ahead of time, and then take a break to do something you enjoy. (I am mostly speaking for those of you “off the clock;” at the office, check with your employer first before taking off for a long weekend!)
The actual way these pointers get enacted in my life involves the use of productivity software and many, many to do lists, on napkins, stickies and anything else that can be written on with pen, cats included.
But even when I think I am taking my own advice pretty well, there are nights like tonight. And I know this is just one of many.
How do you handle work that dribbles over into your personal life? How do you divide your time, goals, and mental fortitude?
I’ve learned the hard way that I tend to underestimate the amount of time needed for a given project – so as a result and as a way not to drive myself crazy, unless the client really needs something by a specific date, I estimate when I think I can have it done and add a few days, in case of emergency. That way, I alleviate the majority of night-before-the-deadline anxiety.
[...] Lindsey’s Blog – Ok, so first off this chick has me on the blogroll – isn’t that enough proof that she’s awesome? Well, if it’s not (humf) then perhaps the title of her blog will get your interest – Use Your Words: The Business of Writing” – how cool is that as a name? You’re still on the edge? Well, take my word for it. She has some great stuff – including a post on why we should try to be more like the mango man, “do I need a copywriter,” and how to conquer work stress at home. [...]