You ever sit and sarcastically contemplate the actual necessity of your job? I really love my job, but there are always “those” days. Eventually, I always pull myself together and push through. Here are some things I remind myself of while at work to help me keep my sanity.
1. Be grateful
I know, it sounds trite but it’s true. I’ve spent years taking care of people from all walks of life fighting cancer. So my perspective of life and gratitude is always being checked. I am constantly reminded to be grateful. Including being grateful for having a career which allows me to take care of myself and my family. It does not have to be your fortune.
If you ever stop and think about the alternative it puts things in perspective too. Before Ash was born I used to ask myself, if you weren’t at work right now, what would you really be doing? Would you really be out doing all the magnificent things that your job is supposedly holding you hostage from doing? Or would you still be in your PJ’s watching daytime T.V, scrolling social media, and wasting beautiful time? It was my way of not falling into the trap of entitlement and complaining. You’re up, making money, being productive. That’s always a plus.
2. Don’t be a drama queen/king or let drama people pull you into their abyss
It’s always amusing to hear dramatic people say “I can’t stand drama.” Meanwhile they are toting around gossip, grudges, and shadiness. If you are constantly in the middle of drama on the job, do a self check. Maybe you are the queen or king and don’t know it. The “extraness” does you no favors though. Leave the drama to it’s own misery. I am not a drama queen by any means. I do have to remind myself to pull out the long handled spoon for those around me who wear the crown. To keep my sanity, it’s a must.
3. Do your best
Growing up my mom would always say to us, “Whatever you do, make sure you give it your best.” She would always follow up with her toothpick example, “I don’t care if your job is cleaning toothpicks. Be the best toothpick cleaner there is.” It’s one of those life lessons that stuck with me. No matter how trivial a task may seem, give it your all. There is something empowering about knowing that you are performing at your best. At the end of the day, even if things don’t turn out like I had planned, I always feel better about myself knowing I did my best. For me it’s as euphoric as a good work out sometimes.
4. Don’t let people walk over you
I had to learn this the long and hard way. Being a nice person does not mean you have to let people walk over you. They will, if you let them, and that’s not a good feeling either. When we first got married, Brian would always say to me,” you’re too nice.” He saw that I was letting people choose the level of respect they wanted to have for me instead of me choosing. He told me I was too passive. Of course I was this way at work too. In the words of Roz Focker, “neesch keet.” I learned to have more grit. I’m still nice, I just speak up for myself now.
What are some of things you do to keep your sanity at work?
