Like most people, you work 40-plus hours a week and really look forward to the weekends. Friday afternoon at 5:00 pm rolls around and you have the best intentions of relaxing, getting things done around the house, enjoying a nice dinner with that special someone…and then you start thinking about Monday.
What is wrong with you?
Work is obviously a very important part of all our lives. We need a place to live, a car to drive, food to eat, clothes on our backs…. all of that requires money (unless you are in a place where everyone just works on the “barter” system.) But work should not be the most important part of your life. Your family, pets, friends, hobbies, and passions all need your time and attention if you want to feel like you are doing more in your life than just working.
But how do you do this?
We are glad you asked. All of us at Foxie have experienced this same scary phenomenon, and we have figured out a way to combat it so we can enjoy our downtime. Here are five suggestions we think can help you regain your nights and weekends.
- Get as much done as you can on Friday – Don’t leave things unanswered or conflicts unresolved. Start your Friday by addressing the items on your to-do list and check things off as you finish them. Knowing that you are leaving the office with the necessary tasks completed will help enable you to sleep better over the weekend and not worry about Monday.
- Plan out your weekend as you would your workday – Plan out your weekend to take most of the stress and thinking out of the little free time you have to yourself. When you fill your weekend with things to do, you will have less time to let work slip back into your mind. Go to the gym, take the kids or yourself to a movie, go dancing, go to the casino, and spend a couple of hours with your friends laughing and talking about anything except your job. My personal favorite is eating nachos and watching football. Whatever makes you happy... do it!
- Turn off your technology – When you are constantly bombarded with notifications on your phone from emails, pings, and voicemails regarding work, you will be guilted into answering them. Your time off on the weekends is exactly that…time off. That means offline as well. It may be hard at first, but by doing so, you will regain some peace of mind.
- Work on your passion projects – Staying busy will help to keep your mind off work. Finish that yardwork you have been putting off, do a puzzle, read a book, work on your car, or learn a new language. By accomplishing something, no matter how small, you will not feel as though you wasted your time off, while still enjoying your nights/weekends.
- Don’t feel guilty – You worked hard all week and should not feel guilty about thinking about things other than work. Your nights and weekends are your sacred time of.! YOU need time to relax and recharge. Both you and your company will be better off for it.
Be engaged with your customers...call me at 866-BE-ENGAGED (866-233-6424), text START to FOXIE (36943) or if you prefer, just shoot me an email at hjames@foxie.com.
All of us here at Foxie hope you have a great evening and enjoy your weekend.