Transition from work to home driving you CRAZY?
I can’t believe it’s our last week in this series around creating calm and reducing stress. Hopefully you’ve been practicing some of the breathing exercises, using your RC and eating more mindfully. This week I want to turn your attention to another common area of stress – transition time.
Although there are many transition times during the day (home to work; afterschool; dinnertime; bedtime), I want to dive into one that all of us working moms have – the transition from work to home. Regardless of if you are physically driving home from work or simply attempting to turn off the computer and focus on your family, this can be an especially dicey and stressful transition.
Odds are good you didn’t finish everything you wanted to do at work (do we ever?), so it can be hard to move from that work mentality to start enjoying your family. Instead of making that transition rushed and harried, try slowing it down a bit. Use it to switch off your work mind, release any negativity that invaded your workday and move into a calm, enjoyable evening. Even if you have an evening of running kids around planned, you can still change your attitude and make the most of it!
Let’s begin…
Step 1: Leave work behind. Close your computer – signify to your brain that work is over.
Step 2: Leave your office area. Either get in your car, bus, etc. to drive home or leave your work area if you work at home. Take 3 big inhales and exhales and smile.
Step 3: Find something that lifts your mood, and take a few minutes to enjoy it and decompress. Maybe it’s some music you enjoy, a picture of your kids you like looking at, or a memory of a recent wonderful vacation. Don’t skip this step as it will start shifting your mindset.
Step 4: Once you get home, be present. Take a few moments to connect with each family member. If your mind starts wandering back to work, remind yourself that it will still be there in the morning.
Short, simple and an easy way to transition yourself from work to home. This sequence can also be quite useful if you start feeling stressed out at work. Remove yourself from the situation for as little as 5 minutes and you can often come back with a better and more productive attitude.
How do you switch from work to home? Do you simply keep running without stopping, or do you take time to mentally shift gears? What works for you? I’d love to hear your comments, so please share!
Join me Thursday on Facebook at 12:00 EST as I share some more great ways to use RC and a few last tips on calming your mind! This week is also your last chance to get your FREE copy of “5 Stress Relief Tips for Working Moms.” I won’t be offering it next month as I have something new to share!
