The last quarter of the year is among the most challenging and hectic for payroll and accounting professionals. Also, for HR departments that have to update projects and budgets for the coming year.
That is why professionals in these industries must take care of their mental health and well-being during this part of the year to minimize stress and burnout. In order to help our members with this process, we partnered with Work Smart Live Smart to share tools and insights to cope with the year-end stress and anxiety.
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Article by Beverly Beuermann-King posted in June on the Work Smart Live Smart blog.
Resiliency and Leave The Office Early
In these ever-changing times, leaving work early may seem impossible. Business disruption has caused many of us to be working well beyond our typical work week. However, I challenge you to look at working these long extended hours as a risk to your health, productivity, and engagement.
In spite of the advances in technology, many of us are working longer hours than our parents and chronic illnesses such as heart disease and depression are on the rise. We know that stress is impacting many to the point of feeling burned out and disconnected.
Impact of Stress
How does all of this relate to leaving the office early? I am suggesting that during these stressful times, it is essential that we take care of ourselves. Just like a car, we cannot continue to rev the engine without putting some maintenance back into it - if we don't, we will break down. In order to maintain productivity, we must ensure that we have the energy to be creative and to problem-solve the issues that we face.
Are You Working Longer Hours Trying To Get It All Done?
Leaving early is just one strategy in an attempt to control your schedule and not let time control you. By consciously planning to leave early one day this week, I am betting that you will be much more focused on getting things done during the day and will feel a renewed sense of energy by taking that time to create a better balance in your life.
What would you do if you had 20 minutes of ‘free time’ today? 1 hour or 2 hours extra? What priority would you focus on?
This is about awareness of how time slips away from us - it's about failing to make our priorities a priority in our life. Our work is important and we owe it to ourselves and our employer to be present, creative and healthy. How? Control your schedule and be purposeful with your time.
Beverly's Tips For Building Resiliency By Promoting Leave The Office Early Day
- Make a realistic plan for your work day - what do you want to achieve, and how much time can you dedicate to achieving that item?
- Set an ending time for the day
- Plan for your off-work time in the same way you do your at-work time - again, be realistic
- Are your life priorities part of this daily plan? If not - how can you add them to the plan?
- Look at leaving early one day this week and use that newfound time to renew and rejuvenate yourself - be purposeful with this time
How many hours do you work per day?
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10 Comments
A very good reminder. Often, especially when working from home, I get caught up in tasks and forget the time, which usually leads to working longer hours. I often settle into a task and forget to make sure I even do the basics like eat, stretch, take a break. It is important to take care of ourselves mentally and physically and we need to realize that everyone benefits from it, not just us.
1 year agoTrue! Sometimes it’s more difficult from home. That’s why it’s important to respect the same schedule we would have at the office. Thank you, Denise!
1 year agoI too find that working from home had me working longer hours in the beginning. When I started working from home, I had this great outlook that I would exercise on my lunch breaks etc, but the reality was that I was working more and not taking a lunch break or really any breaks. After over a year of that, I started to make a conscious effort (set alarms on my phone, or figure out after x amount of my tasks are done) to ensure that I was taking the time to refresh and recharge throughout the day and it has made a world of difference to my mental health.
1 year agoGreat advice! Thank you, Tracy!
1 year agoLove setting the alarms as a way of ensuring you are taking care of yourself. I set the oven timer as it was far too easy for me to shut off my phone alarm and keep on working.
1 year agoThis is where I believe that flexibility becomes the better option. If I am working on something (and I am in the “zone”), I would rather continue working until I am at a place that I feel comfortable to leave it for the day and this may mean working longer hours that day. When you are provided flexibility, you can then take the extra time and use it when it makes sense – maybe a bit longer lunch break the next day. I recognize that this may not work for everyone and you have to ensure that there is adequate balance.
1 year agoGood option. Thank you, Lisa!
1 year agoIt is about awareness of the time and effort…flexibility allows you to be in the groove, and then take time off for other pursuits without guilt.
1 year agoI agree with all the comments. Flexibility definitely works well for me – the give and take of it all.
1 year agoWhat great timing to read this article, as year end approaches! Thanks for the tips. I think I will set some more alarms to get me up and resting my eyes and stretching my bones. I too, love the flexibility working from home provides me. I do not like to stop a task half way through so some days are a bit longer than others.
1 year ago