Random Thoughts

I so love this article I came across Mumcenter Philippines. All the working Moms will be able to relate to this one.

Read on and Enjoy!

Women have this lofty idea of “doing it all:” manage the household, care for the kids, and climb the corporate ladder or run a successful business. Being able to juggle all these roles, according to Jayme Gatbonton, creator of the workshop “Be Happy, Go Stress Free,” sometimes feel like it’s “a badge of success.” However, striving to fulfill all obligations and responsibilities comes at a price: job burnout and stress in other areas of life.

At some point, your work-life balance gets totally skewed. You feel empty, listless, and lacking in energy and motivation. The stress and sadness sometimes lead to physical sickness in some people. Before making a major decision, however, like quitting your job at the soonest possible time, try to manage your job burnout first.

Take a break

When you’re feeling overwhelmed and you feel that you cannot take another step back into your office again, then your mind and body are telling you that it’s time to take a break. Take a vacation, the longer the better, and re-charge. Do something fun and totally unrelated to your work. Stay incommunicado from the office, and focus on other aspects of your life.

Identify what you like and don’t like

When you’ve finally taken a breather, the next step is to analyze your situation. What do you like about your job? What don’t you like about it? What do you like about your current set-up? Include your household concerns and your personal goals and dreams outside of your job and motherhood. A little clarity will go a long way in leading you to your next steps.

Do the things you don’t like in one go

There are things that we really have to do no matter how much we don’t want to do them. Instead of dreading them, though, tackle them head on in one go. Set aside a time to do all those things that you dislike either once a day, or once a week, and just do it. Reward yourself with a drink or a sweet treat afterwards. Getting over that hump will feel like an accomplishment.

Delegate

Job burnout often goes together with too much responsibility on our shoulders. We feel torn on what we should do. Consider delegating tasks at work to a junior. Make sure to talk to your superior about this, and cite that you want to focus on other things that will have a significant contribution to the company. On the other hand, if a situation at home is contributing to your stress, consider getting help in that area too. There’s no shame in asking for help!

Plan your next steps

If doing the above does not make a positive dent in your situation, it is time to evaluate your priorities in life. If you are really and truly unhappy with your job, and you’ve exhausted all options to be happy there, it might be time to move on. It’s not worth it to keep a job that negatively impacts your health and family life.

“Doing it all” might seem like ideal. Everybody wants to be superwoman, right? However, everything comes at a price. We have to figure out our priorities and take steps in taking care of ourselves as we attempt to fulfill all our responsibilities in life.