Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Tips to Ease Work Related Stress for Working Mums

Working mums are aware of the importance of having a career besides that of a domestic goddess. Putting income aside, a career gives a woman a purpose, sense of identity and zeal that are separate from what our wifely and motherly roles provide. The downside is that working mums often suffer from "second-shift" work or the exhaustion and possibility of overextending oneself. Stress can be good sometimes because it motivates a person to do better but overexertion can be risky as it can leave a woman overwhelmed or put her on the verge of insanity. Are there ways to diminish stress and escape burnout? Professional coaching can provide assistance in taking guilt away and busting burnout. In the meantime, make use of the following tips to let go of stress and lighten up your mood.

Practice good task management. Prioritise, delegate, and break down into manageable bits. Repeat as needed. These three keys to work-related stress relief will help reduce your workload and tame what may seem like the impossible. Set no more than two to three priorities per day and before punching out, revise accordingly. Adhering to a few will allow you to remain focus and self-assuredyet, be careful of becoming overly confident! No matter how much we want to maintain a superwoman image, sometimes we simply can't do it all ourselves. If you find your to-do list is backlogged, it's time to delegate. Delegate some of your tasks to others and do well in important projects. And, if large projects still inspire trepidation, break them down into bite-sized chunks. Not only does this cut the fear factor, but dividing tasks leaves you feeling you've accomplished more and in less time.

Be nice. Don't be a pushover. In striving to make a good impression at the office, we often want to come across as nice. But beware! The way we choose to define "nice" may get us the exact opposite of what we had desired. Working mums are often ensnared into pushover territory, or in layman's term, the red zone of excessive and often unhealthy niceness. The trick is to learn how to be pleasant and accommodating without being a doormat. Assert your right to just say "no." If guilt plagues your worried conscience, invoke the cause of your good health and sanity to remind you that saying no is not a negative!

Take a cue from your kids, and play! When you punch out, make sure to leave your work at the office and make time for play each evening. Take up a new hobby, read your favourite magazine, or take the family and dog for a walk. Play time reinvigorates the soul, gets the creative juices flowing, and beats the boredom of your work routine.

See a professional. True to the saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure. Watch for the signs of stress, and keep them in check before they get out of hand. Being proactive will maintain balance and calm in your busy lives and can minimize the effects of office-related stress. Signs vary from emotional to physical and can comprise of insomnia, digestive problems, inattentiveness,aches or sickness, and change in moods. Have regular physicals to check up your cardio and inform your physician of any pain or discomfort.

But assistance does not have to cease at your G.P's office. Try signing up for some professional coaching? If you're finding the stress is too much to handle, professional coaching can support working mums who finds themselves constantly torn between work and home life.


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