Does Not Work Well Under Pressure

A few weeks ago, a colleague and I had a great conversation about what we've been up to at work, and how this is feeding our stress levels. And we came to this great conclusion: too much of our self-worth at the moment is tied into what we are doing at work. 

I shall explain.

There is a concept out there (I can't remember by who; if you know, let me know and I will provide credit), that proposes the stability of one's life is supported by and dependent on many different aspects - for example, family, friends, finances, work, health, etc. If you think of these aspects as different legs of a chair, an ideal state would be to have all of those chair legs in balance in order to be well supported. If one of those legs breaks or becomes wobbly, it creates instability for the chair (i.e. life), overall. 

Now, thinking about this in terms of our current COVID-19 times, and it's easy to see how a person could feel particularly down about themselves. Most of us (who are following the rules) are probably lacking in social connection. Many others might have lost jobs, which means instability in finances and work. Others may not be coping well, or have contracted COVID-19, causing a deterioration to their health "legs." 

Through our conversation, my colleague and I realized that we're putting far too much pressure on work for our overall well-being. There's not much of anything else, by way of family, friends or health, that we can necessarily lean on at the moment, so when work sucks, that means life sucks, too. Conversely, if work is great, then life improves, as well. 

But we're relying far too much on our work "legs" because that is what is currently right in front of us - the one thing occupying the majority of our time, keeping us awake at night and working long hours into the evenings and weekends. 

What to do about it? Having this recognition is helpful. Apart from that, it's the usual: remembering to take breaks, eat properly, try and get enough sleep. For me, I've realized that it is also crucial to set boundaries, like committing to properly signing off for the day (signing off at a reasonable hour and not signing on again until the next day), and not working weekends unless absolutely necessary. 

It's a hard time right now, for sure. There is far too much to do at work, and not enough time to do it all. For me, remembering that work is only one "leg" is key, and that placing too much stock in this is not a great strategy. 

Hard to do, though. I'll just keep trying my best.