There was a time when employees showed up for work, worked eight hours, and then went home. Not so today. The boundaries between work and home have become blurred. Here’s why:
- Longer hours. Employers often ask employees to work longer hours. Sometimes, overtime is mandatory. In order to move up the career ladder, many employees believe they need to put in more “face time” at the office. In fact, the average workweek today is 49.2 hours.
- Global economy. As more companies outsource or move jobs overseas to reduce labor costs, employees feel pressured to work longer hours and produce more to protect their jobs.
- International business. If you work in an international business, work continues around the world 24/7. Therefore, workers may be on call around the clock for trouble-shooting or consulting. Also, the work day is lengthened by early morning or evening meetings to accommodate people in different time zones.
- Advanced communication technology. With the advent of laptop computers, cell phones, and personal handheld devices, people now have the ability to work anywhere – at the office, at home, from their car, or even on vacation. Advanced technology has increased expectations with regard to response time, so now we’re constantly connected with the office. Some managers even expect it.
If you’ve experienced any of these challenges, you understand how easy it is for work to invade your personal life. If you’re not careful, work can overtake your life. In order to avoid that, you need to set boundaries around work in order to keep balanced. For tips on how to set boundaries on work, please see the article “Setting Boundaries at Work”.
You’ve just hung up the phone with an irate customer who “read you the riot act” for not receiving his order on time. You’re feeling uptight, tense and stressed out! What do you do? Do you take it out on your co-worker who stops by your desk to ask a question? Or do you find a way to calm yourself?
These are the occasions in which we wish we were someplace else – like on vacation where we’re laying on the beach on a remote island. Well, you can go there – if only in your mind. Visualization is a great way to relax yourself. You can take a little vacation in your mind for a few minutes, and come away feeling refreshed and revitalized.
Try this exercise. Shut your eyes, and take a slow, deep breath. As you breathe in, feel the tension in your body. As you breathe out, imagine the tension flowing out of your body. Take several deep breaths until your body feels completely relaxed. Now let your mind go back to a time and place in which you felt totally relaxed. It may be a favorite vacation spot, a childhood experience, or special time spent with a loved one. Relive that experience as you continue to breathe deeply. Transport yourself to that time and place. See yourself in your imagination doing what you did then – seeing the sights, hearing the sounds, and smelling those smells. Mentally relive that previous time and place until you feel wonderful relaxation wash over you. When you’re ready, open your eyes and come back to the present time.
I’ve used this exercise when I’ve felt like I couldn’t take it anymore and needed a break. It helped refresh me so I could focus on work again. So the next time you’re feeling tense and upset, take a little vacation in your mind. It will do you wonders!
If you’d like to learn more relaxation techniques you can do in the moment, then listen to “Managing Workplace Stress” CD.
It’s 5:00 p.m. and your boss gives you an urgent assignment. Due to a client emergency you’re asked to research the issue and provide a solution ASAP. With your husband out of town, you panic. Who will pick up your daughter from day care? Be prepared for late office hours with these tips.
Negotiate with your Boss
Sometimes a last-minute request can actually wait. Assess the urgency of the issue. Can it wait until the morning? Maybe you can come in early in the morning, or if needed, work from home tonight. Your boss’ demand may not be the emergency he first thought it was.
Have a Back-up Plan
If your regular sitter is unavailable, then always have a back-up (someone you can call in an emergency). Keep the numbers of people you can call in an emergency in your cell phone – your mother, a neighbor, another parent from your daughter’s school or day care. Be sure to reciprocate and do favors for other moms.
Prepare your Kids
Let your kids know that you may have to work late some evenings. If your child is old enough to be left home alone, discuss her handling things at home on her own. Set rules about locking doors, cooking, homework and TV. Ask a neighbor to drop by to check up on your kids. If they know someone will check up on them, they’re more likely to behave.
By following these tips you can avoid the panic when you get a last-minute request to work late.