I can’t tell you what a rollercoaster most days were for me for much of my life.
I regularly got whiplash from the speed in which I could go from happy to upset, fine to stressed-out or even sad to delighted.
It was tiring and unpredictable.
I felt wired and ‘too sensitive’.
Sure, I could carefully manage how I presented at work (some people remarked on me being laid back and it still makes me cackle - I never corrected them), but internally it was rocky. It left me strung out and with little left at the end of the day or week to really enjoy life to the fullest.
Even if you aren’t as changeable in mood as I was in my pre-coaching life, it’s likely that your mood is dictated by people, places and happenings around you, as well as your inner critic*.
It’s tempting to believe that there is nothing we can do except find the perfect, stress-free job with amazing colleagues and superiors who are always supportive, in a good mood and up for a giggle (or to just become perfect ourselves).
But this daydream is not possible.
What we can find are great places to work and great work that still presses our buttons, be it because we feel like a fraud, or overwhelmed, or simply very self-critical.
Almost four years ago I was bedridden for just shy of a month (and weak/unwell for sometime after it). I didn't know what was wrong with me, when or if it would stop. It was terrifying. I couldn't work, care for my daughter or really do anything except sleep and lie in bed. So how did this come about?
Well the short version is that I burned out.
My body had had enough of working hard, pushing myself like crazy, parenting, finishing a PhD and all.the.things.
I had ignored it, almost completely and just kept going.
I was sure that there were no other options and no other way to do it.
That brings me to lesson #1.
I have a steady stream of clients that cannot wait to leave their jobs.
They are done!
They've grown out of the job or their work culture is toxic.
They might crave a new challenge and a bigger impact.
But... they need to stay a little longer in their role.
It could be financial or simply in making a great exit plan to a job they will thrive in (often both!).
What I want for them and YOU is to have as much energy and confidence as possible for the next work adventure, so here are 4 things to do now.
It's no joke that work is getting more intense these days (there's research to prove it), so given what's happening in our workplaces, what can we do to protect our wellbeing, to find peace in our hectic work days?
This post is about dispelling the major myth around feeling peaceful at work AND giving you a range of ways to find peace in your day. I encourage you to pick the ones that feel good to you and give them a whirl.
