Don’t Let Work Define Your Day
Have you ever had a day like this before?
You’re having an amazing morning. You make a really good breakfast, you got 8+ hours of sleep, and you had an amazing workout. What a start to the day! Next you head into work. When you get to work you find yourself overloaded with a huge to- do list. Before you know it, your higher ups chew you out for an entirely different set of issues. Things are stacking… At least you can look forward to lunch time. You were planning on going to this new incredible cafe that just opened on the corner. You were ecstatic until your boss said, “Hey. We think it would really be best if you took a quick lunch at your desk today. Ya know, so you can catch up on your work.” Things are really stacking now…
The dreaded workday is finally over and you feel awful. You’re tired, exhausted, and, most of all, stressed. You were planning on going out with your friends for drinks that night, but you decided to cancel. Just not in the mood anymore. The day that started so energetic has now become a day that you wish couldn’t end sooner. Instead of a fun night with friends you order takeout, watch some TV, and go to bed.
I’m pretty sure anyone can agree that this day was pretty brutal. But why? Why did only the events that happened at work ruin the rest of the whole day? This is a common issue that many people run through on a daily basis. With some mental practice, learning how to compartmentalize, and making sure we check in with ourselves we can learn how to build off our entire day; Not just one section.
When you think about it logically it’s actually a bit silly. For most people, work only takes up about 8 of the 24 hours in our day. So why would we let our emotions be decided based on what happened for 1/3 of the day. What about the rest!
Learn How to Compartmentalize
Mentally, you want to learn how to keep each part of your day in its on category. These categories should never intertwine. Let’s use our example from above. The rough day at work should never bleed into other facets of the day. Leave what happened at work, at work. The moment you leave work you are onto the next section of your day. There are a few reasons to do this.
This gives you the reset you need. As soon as you leave you have the opportunity to check more things off the list that will make your day amazing. Instead of canceling your plans because of the bad mood you had from work, you went out for drinks and had an amazing night with your friends. This also give you the focus you need to accomplish your next task in the day. How can I have a terrific time with my friends if all I’m thinking about is how stressful work is. When we compartmentalize different parts of our day, we give ourselves more and more chances throughout the day to make things great no matter what happened previously.
Build Momentum off Wins
Each thing you strive to do throughout your day and accomplish is a win! Make sure you’re treating it like one! The more and more momentum you acknowledge through the day makes it more difficult to bring you down. Getting a good workout, making your bed, learning from a new podcast, spending time with friends and family… these are all wins. It’s easy not to stress out about what happened at work if you compartmentalize and look forward to the wins you’re going to continue to have after work! Sure, work may have been rough, but you’ve been looking forward to getting drinks with your friends all week. You know it’s going to be an amazing time. Let that be a win you’re looking forward to achieving.
Check in With Yourself- Journaling
Staying conscious of your emotions and checking in with yourself is crucial. All the methods we’ve talked about so far can’t be done unless you are aware of when/ where you need to improve. Most people stroll throughout the day and let the day take the wheel. When you take the wheel and do periodic checks yourself, it helps keep a level head. Simply ask yourself “ How am I feeling in this moment right now?” There are plenty of apps that you can use to help you keep track of these things. I strongly recommend trying them. When you keep a record of your emotions it gives you insight of what often puts you at your highest, and what detriments may often put you at your lowest.
In conclusion, slowly but surely start to implement these things. Again, 1/3 of your day should not define your entire day. It is just silly. Learn how to manage your emotions and be the driver of your day, not the passenger.
