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How To Detach Yourself From a Bad Week at Work
It happens to everybody. Maybe you and/or your co-workers were angry, rushed or frustrated. Maybe there was a major screw-up and you're afraid of the consequences. Or maybe it was just really, really boring. Whatever the reason, the work week seemed like it lasted a year, and you don't ever want to go back.
You WILL have to go back, though. And if you bring that same negative energy with you, you're pretty much guaranteed another bad week. Instead, we suggest you use the weekend to get the bad feelings out of your system, so you can start the new week with a fresh, clear mindset.
Put it in perspective.
Your career is a big part of your life, but it's not your whole life. Balance work with personal interests, and what happens on the job won't have the power to overwhelm you.
Leave it at the office.
Create clear boundaries between work and home; the feelings from each are not allowed to invade the other. Some people have a specific behavior that they do at the end of every workday, such as tidying up their desk, which signals their minds to switch out of work mode.
Allow yourself to vent.
Sometimes the only way to get a bad event out of your head is to have a good rant about it. But set yourself a time limit, say 15 minutes. Find your favorite confidante, let all that steam blow off, and then move on.
Restore your positive attitude.
As soon as you get home from your bad work week, do something that will make you feel good about yourself. This doesn't mean spending the evening drinking or in front of the TV — activities which temporarily numb your feelings without changing them. Choose a positive activity like exercising, meditating, eating a healthy but delicious meal, working in the garden or sharing quality time with a loved one.
Analyze what went wrong.
Before you put the bad week entirely in the past, consider what might be done to prevent the problem from recurring in the future. Could a different reaction from you or your co-workers have helped the situation?
Try these de-stressing strategies, and even though you're going back to the same old job situation, you'll bring a new, proactive attitude that can make great things happen.
