💖Find passion outside of work.
In her book The Trouble With Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality, sociologist Erin Cech says if you don’t have a job you’re passionate about, that’s OK. You can still find fulfillment, joy and meaning in other areas of life. In her interview with Life Kit, she says to ask yourself: What are the things that excite you outside of paid employment? How can you invest time, energy and attention in cultivating passion in that space? Finding things that feed you in one area can help serve you in every dimension of life.
✅Rethink productivity with a “done” list.
Time management guru Oliver Burkeman says instead of constantly feeling bad about what you didn’t complete on your daily to-do list, celebrate what you did do. You can do that by creating a “done list.” Throughout your day, write down everything you get done – big and small – to better appreciate all you accomplish with your time. Morning meeting? Done! Took a stretch break? Done! Weekly newsletter? Just about done! (Whew!)
🛑Practice setting healthy limits.
Therapist and author Nedra Tawwab says when we overextend ourselves emotionally for other people, we may get frustrated, then lash out at them unfairly. Creating boundaries, she says, can help preserve relationships. Build your boundary-setting muscle by placing a hard stop time on your office hours, silencing text notifications during dinner, or asking your bestie if you can call them back when you have more mental space for that venting session.
🙅♀️Learn the art of the “soft no.”
Our episode on curbing people-pleasing tendencies, such as always agreeing with others or avoiding conflict at all costs, taught us that saying “yes” too much can lead to resentment and burnout. If the idea of saying “no” outright makes you anxious, practice the “soft no”: a simple and firm statement that explains why you can’t do a particular thing without being apologetic or offering too much of an explanation. For example, “I don’t have bandwidth for that project right now, but thank you so much for thinking of me.”
🚴♀️Remember to “SPARK” fun on the weekend.
Making time for pleasure and entertainment after a long workweek is not frivolous, says researcher Catherine Price. Having fun can help stave off loneliness and judgmental thoughts and give us much-needed energy if we’re feeling overworked or uninspired. SPARK is her handy acronym to help remember to incorporate some merrymaking into your life. It stands for "make Space, Pursue passions, Attract opportunities for enjoyment, practice gentle Rebellion and Keep at it." Listen to the full interview for more fun-spiration.
Here’s to balance, friends – in work, in life and (fingers crossed) in holding onto a dangerously full plate of Labor Day picnic goodies. Double-plate if necessary! Waste not the watermelon!
— Andee Tagle, Life Kit producer | 
No comments:
Post a Comment