I know it’s just too hard to unplug from work (or school) even on your day off. I’ve been there. Since college, I felt super tired even on weekends knowingly because I have so much else to do and complete by Monday. Believe it or not, it’s taken me yeeeears to learn how to wind down and take a restful weekend, or a Sunday, at least.
Ironically, hustlin’ and procrastinating are both part of our nature. It’s on us how we control and balance the two. I’m not sure about you, but (based on recent experiences) I feel more tired when I procrastinate. I feel super heavy and lazy and I hate that. I love it more when I feel fueled and inspired. I looooove it more when I see and feel productive even for an hour. (LOL) Why do we need to wind down, anyways? I have 5 personal opinions, and you can add yours too, just comment your thoughts below!
- The need to reduce stress. My number one reason. My job requires a loooot of critical thinking from all technicalities (risk assessments, auditing, monitoring, case studies, etc) to writing reports. Even reporting our observations is kind of draining because we need to accurately communicate what we have in writing in English and mind you, English is not my native language and talking in English is a loooooot more challenging for me (tbh). So the pressure to effectively explain things to our foreign leaders is yeah, tiring. Also, if you don’t know yet, I have a toddler and I believe I don’t need to explain more how tired and stressed I am during workdays.
- Be more productive. When I’m stressed and tired, I can’t do anything good. Either I ruin things (which I don’t want to do everrr) or don’t do anything at all. That’s when I procrastinate. Ah, bukas nalnag yan. Kaya ko naman yan gawin in 15 minutes. So instead of having more time to review my files, waley na.
- Improve relationships! If I do good at work, I don’t need to extend my work hours just to catch up to my to-do list. If I get to complete all my tasks, I get more time with Mnemo and that’s what I’d loooove! Since the CQ, Mnemo got used to us spending more time playing, eating, and taking naps together. And I feel like a better mom when she looks for her “ma”.
- Work-life balance. Except for the busy Global/Regional/External audit weeks, I get to work on my blog, I get to draw, *stare* at my plants, read books, and sometimes travel. Thanks to the privilege our company gives us. I also get to enroll online courses and get certificates for free! If you learn how to balance work and your hobbies, I’m sure you’ll love life more. <3
I know, it’s easier said than done. I know, at least I’m fortunate of being able to have that work-life balance every person wants. But really, if we learn how to prioritize and manage our time, you’ll get that “privilege” I am talking about. Well basically it’s a “need” we have to keep in mind. Here’s how I wind down on a Sunday just so I get more powered-up Monday:
1. Determining my limits.
I am not a very healthy person, tbh. I get sick more frequently than others, plus as mentioned, I procrastinate. Why do I procrastinate, anyways? Sometimes, because I feel pressured, sometimes, I feel like I *legit* think I can do certain task quickly like “no need to rush”.
What I usually do is list down the tasks I need to get done in a day. Yep, unlike others, my 2020 planner/organizer notebook is suuuuper used and helpful even though I’m not traveling. I prioritize based on the need – the things that are requested by colleagues, for example, are on top of my list. I hate that people are waiting for my response for long and can’t do the necessary next steps because “hinihintay ko pa si May“. Unless I have a heavier and more urgent task, I give their requests first.
My list goes on even with the stuff I can actually do the next day or next week. I just write them down to remind me I haven’t ticked them off yet. If not super urgent, I don’t push myself to doing it and drain myself for nothing.
2. Letting my team know my work hours/days.
Our company lets us work at a flexible hours, so long as everyone gets their job done efficiently and timely. *Thank God I’m in this org!* So I take the advantage of taking breaks when my calendar for the day is not that busy. It’s also a good thing to have a good working relationship (and off-work friendship) among your team. It makes you work more productively and fun.
3. Remind yourself: non-urgent emails can wait.
This is one of my toxic work traits before – responding to emails even in weekends or at 3am in a workday or the minute I received the mail. Maybe because I was trained to (as mentioned in item no.1) understand our colleagues’ needs from myself. Since I am a part of the support team, I feel like they need my replies as soon as possible.
I still do this, but now less. I registered my office account in my personal mobile so I will be able to connect with my co-workers even when I don’t have my laptop. So yes, for *super urgent* or minimal asks, I respond to work emails even when I’m doing the groceries or when I’m throwing ugly toys with Mnemo.
4. Forget multitasking.
Another toxic trait I used to have! In the past whenever I’m on a restday (vacay or not), I used to worry a loooot about my work and end up working on a day off. My reason: kaya ko naman e, hindi naman mahirap. Thanks to Mnemo, I realized I don’t have to work on a weekend (unless super need) and that they don’t pay my weekends!
On a Sunday (like the day I was drafting this), I did the usual mom tasks. Woke up, had my coffee, cooked breakfast, woke my kid, ate and played with her a little, took a nap, bathe while Mnemo’s still sleeping, ate, attended online class, read a book, played again with Mnemo, ate with her, played, and put her to sleep.
5. Reward yourself.
Not really with material things. And I mean do not spend too much on luxuries! I’m already happy having my cup of coffee while doing the things I love. Spending time with Mnemo, watching Netflix, reading a book, drawing, writing, and guess what – I looove my job too! I don’t know if you get it but even though I love my job, I need to take a rest, too. I also feel rewarded whenever I see my bills list checked/paid. Hay, the relief.
6. Organize your coming week plans!
I use the Starbucks planner to organize my tasks and/or plans. I’m not actually brand conscious. I just love Starbucks coffee that I don’t mind spending 210php for my fave coffee mix. (I know, I’m not matipid when it comes to food and drinks). In the next blog/s I will share how I journal and organize my tasks lists, but for the sake of this article, yeah. Organizing your weekly plans is really a big help.
Why weekly, not daily or not by month? My working mood always changes. One minute I’m in the zone, the next minute my mind’s already in Paris eating croissants. So my task lists always moves and they move fast. Planning weekly helps me outline what I need to accomplish before the next rest days, and updating my lists daily helps me prioritize those items from time to time. It works very well for me, I bet it’ll work for you too!
I know my list here is kind of confusing. I need to wind down, yes. But I love my corporate job as well. It's just the volume and timelines that tire me. How about you? How's your working mood? How do you unwind from a very busy workday? Let me know your thoughts and leave a comment below!
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