Work issues - top 10 tips

If that Friday feeling is failing, here are 10 top work issue tips. I also have a Work Issues Toolkit with further resources.  You can access this for free by clicking here.  

1. There is no shame in an affirmation or two.  Even if you have to write it on a postit note, and keep it on your pocket, remind yourself of the phrases that might lift your spirits every working day.  A simple one might be:  I am good enough.  Or how about:  There is more to me than my working life
2. Wasted energy.  A great deal of energy is put into worrying about work, or complaining about how it could be a better place.  Try to focus on what you can change.  And if you cannot change it, put your energy into something else
3. The anguish of indecision.  Sometimes it is more uncomfortable to dwell on the ‘what ifs’.  If you have decided to stay in a job, accept that decision and move on
4. Focus on tasks, not projects.  There may be an unending ‘to do’ list, and this will feel overwhelming if you try and tackle a whole project.  Break that project into manageable tasks or goals, and make sure each goal passes the test of being:  Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound (or ‘within a timeframe’)
5. Diarise.  Work will feel overwhelming if you believe that everything has to be done all at once.  Deliberately schedule different tasks for different days.  Do the same with your email folders.  Don’t let emails fill up your inbox.  Put them in folders, and then choose a day to focus that topic
6. Boundaries.  We all would like to be liked.  But sometimes it is difficult to accept that your work colleagues might not really care about you as a friend or relative might.  Show a friendly interest in your colleagues, but it might be helpful to refrain from blurring that boundary between your working life and your home life
7. A mindful approach.  If we throw ourselves into work with resentment, or we try to detach ourselves from it, eventually we will make a mistake.  Try to adopt a mindful approach to each task, bringing awareness to each moment
8. Sweat it out.  Exercise is essential if you are experiencing stress.  It does not have to be a marathon, exercise includes a brisk walk.  As long as you are experiencing an increase in heartrate, and perhaps working up a little bit of a sweat, you are on the right path
9. Carve out time for yourself.  It could be as little as a short walk at lunch time, or even the journey into work, but allow yourself time to do something for yourself.  It could be listening to your favourite music, or reading fiction.  Try to resist filling every moment with work, as the law of diminishing return dictates that you will end up less effective as a result
10. Assertiveness is key.  All relationships, including a working relationship, require assertiveness skills.  There are a whole range of assertiveness skills but these include an ability to communicate clearly, succinctly, and learn how to ask for things, and how to say no. It is also an ability to recognise when your behaviour might have become aggressive or passive

 
Chris Warren-Dickins BACP Registered Counsellor
E:  chris@exploretransform.com
T:  07816681154
W:  www.exploretransform.com
 

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