In Survival Mode at Work? Here’s How To Navigate From Being Overwhelm to Motivated
Being overwhelmed at work is so hard. You are constantly on the hamster wheel, buried in emails and meetings, someone always needs something from you, you’re always waiting for someone else to deliver on something at work, you’re navigating difficult personalities and power dynamics at work and it’s hard to take a breath sometimes.
Here’s your opportunity to take a deep breath. Seriously. Inhale. Exhale. Take a big sigh.
I’ve got you - I see you, I’m with you.
Work is hard and while your job may not be as physically demanding as someone else’s job, it still requires mental stamina.
The corporate game requires agile thinking, constant navigation of power dynamics, problem solving, observing, and a level of stamina that will eventually lead to burnout, overwhelm, and perpetual “survival mode” if you don’t have the tools to be able to create a safe, and successful container for you to operate in at your highest capabilities.
While I cannot do all the work for you to create that safe and successful container, the goal of this blog post is to offer
4 ideas to help you navigate through survival mode at work
Take a day off
The antidote to the hamster wheel of corporate is to get off the hamster wheel. Take a day off - for no reason. No plans. No vacay. No sickness. Just take a day away from work.
If you have unlimited PTO - this is your time to use it!! If you do not have unlimited PTO, get creative with it, we’ve all taken a Ferris Bueller’s day off - do it.
2. Set boundaries
I’ve discussed setting boundaries on the Career Civility blog before (see here) but boundaries can look different for everyone and they can be incredibly simple. For example… Shut down your computer every night at 6pm. Talk a walk every morning before your commute. Turn on a podcast and take a middle of the day walk at 12p. Eat breakfast before your coffee, etc.
3. Document your daily wins
Little wins spark motivation to make it through the next day. Before you shut down your computer, write down a win from the day on the bottom of your to do list. When you look back on your week at the end of the work week, you will realize how much you accomplished (and survived). It will give you the motivation to keep moving forward.
Bonus - Documenting daily wins is a great activity to do with a team too. Good work compounds.
4. Delegate
Figure out what tasks (either at home or at work) can be delegated and/or outsourced. It is SO hard to ask for help but it will be so worth it for your mental health and your overall productivity. If you need help delegating work, read Communicating Burnout - Making A Business Case to Decrease Your Workload.
Life is so demanding. And work can continually knock you down with constant changes, workloads, and back to back to meetings. Take care of yourself, keep showing up, and work to find a sustainable way to experience the highs and lows of our demanding work environment.
