Working Women’s mental health during the Pandemic AKA ‘New Normal.’

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of working professionals all over the globe. Although the continuing crisis is affecting both women and men equally, working women are facing exceptional difficulties.

Even if the death rate has been twice higher for men than for women, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected women more than men, both at work and at home. This blog aims to observe mental health and the struggle of women in the COVID outbreak.

Certainly, the pandemic has taken a massive toll on the daily lives of many working women. Flexible hours comforted the workflow initially but eventually, it distorted personal life, balancing work life and home became a major challenge. In that case, organizations should take a step ahead by promoting work-life balance and flexible work patterns to avoid difficulty in reaching gender equality in the workplace.

Women and Mental Health During Pandemic

An additional toll on women's mental health addressed about a lot of women having to leave the job to take care of children or other family members at home, or are dealing with an incredible and consistent juggling act of children, plus career, plus household chores and other responsibilities. With the build-up of responsibilities, like homeschooling or caring for in-laws, it becomes harder for women to care for themselves, which in turn affects their mental health.

For those struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues, you are not alone. Support & Assistance is available, and part of restoring a sense of stability is taking time to care for oneself during an unusual experience of social isolation, continued effort, and grief.

There are things a woman can do to manage work-life balance during the COVID-19 pandemic like:

• Seeking help from other colleagues in work to reduce the pressure.
• Keeping due time for self-care.
• Creating a dedicated area for workspace.
• If you are a mother, involving your children in your planning can be helpful.
• Prioritizing tasks from the first place allows versatility.
• Staying organized.

Working women can easily overcome mental health issues during pandemics and adopt a new normal by simply following some quick steps mentioned below:

Practice the Art of Self-Care

When you have a full-time job, or you are a mom, sometimes self-care doesn’t ever make its way to the top of the to-do list. During this tough time in a pandemic, with stress running high, it is more important to take care of your physical and mental health. We have to learn how to manage ourselves, to simply get through this. Because this is definitely a marathon and not a race.

Many of us did not expect the pandemic to stay as long as it is, so why not take care of ourselves in the meantime and come out more energetic?

Activities such as walking, listening to music, talking to a therapist, journaling, and developing a uniform sleep pattern are ways you can have both for your physical and mental health.

Plan a Solo Day Out

Everyone likes to have a personal space, despite the chaos around them. Nothing can be as great as a day out without any daily routine work. Plan a weekend with yourself and have a guilt-free day out. Certainly, self-time is a hypothetical concept in our rigid lives. Yet, it is one of the few ways to restore some much-needed headspace, which may clarify why a growing squad of women is exploring the world alone. While it would be simple to suggest that this kind of solo trip resolves every problem, it does hold a boat of benefits that encourage positive mental health.

Connect With People

Socializing is one of the best ways to understand yourself and it also helps in releasing happy hormones oxytocin and serotonin. The talent to make new connections, whether with your next-door neighbor or a street vendor in town, is an essential stage of happiness. Connecting with people helps to overlook temporary moods and feelings. So, never get disconnected from your chosen ones by considering your busy and hectic schedule as the highest priority. Speaking over the phone or just meeting for a coffee is all you need to have a happy and peaceful mind.

 


To conclude, it is imperative to carry in mind that the COVID-19 crisis is just worsening current gender biases. Policymakers and organizations should consider a gender strategy when making important choices during and after the pandemic, including the improvement of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. As women are undergoing mental health effects of the pandemic to a higher extent than men due to job loss and the pressures of balancing work and house responsibilities. If you feel you are struggling with your mental health, there is no shame in reaching out to a Mental Wellness Coach for guidance and better support.

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HOW PARENTS CAN HELP THEIR CHILDREN DURING COVID-19 TO OVERCOME HEALTH ANXIETY?

                

As Covid 19 continues, parents everywhere are trying to keep children healthy and involved. Most schools, public gatherings, and non-essential companies are closed, children and parents are together adjusting with each other in coping up with the new normal.

The COVID-19 starts with feelings like anxiety, stress, and uncertainty, and they are felt particularly by children of all ages. Though all children deal with such sentiments in different ways, if your child has been facing anxiety issues due to school closures, canceled events, or disconnection from friends, they are going to need to feel loved and encouraged now more than ever.

 

Hence, here are some tips on how parents can help their children during COVID-19 to overcome anxiety.

1. Firstly, Stay calm and listen patiently to your children - Parents should have a calm, proactive talk with their children about the disease (COVID-19), and the crucial role children can play in keeping themselves healthy. Parents should assist their children to let them know about their emotions and feelings if they are feeling anxious about the virus so that the parents can be of help. Clarify that while we don't know how long it will take to "get back to normal life as before" to reduce the number of those infected, we do know that this is the most crucial time and we must follow the rules and guidelines of health specialists to keep ourselves safe.
2. Monitor about what they’re viewing or hearing - Parents should monitor the internet usage, television surfing timing and channels, and social media activity both for themselves and their children. Watching frequent updates on COVID-19 may increase fear and anxiety. Some improper information, or news created for adults, can also cause anxiety or confusion, especially in growing children. Check out what your child already knows and start from there in terms of getting them on the right track. Provide options to explore their interest, passion and engage your child in games or other thrilling activities instead.
3. Be aware of your children’s mental health - Most children are able to handle well with the support of parents and other family members, even if showing symptoms of some anxiety or concerns, such as difficulty in sleeping, mood swings, or focusing on studies. However, some may have risk factors for more intense feelings, including severe anxiety, depression, and even suicidal tendencies. Parents should reach out to a professional if children show variations in behavior or any of the subsequent symptoms carried for more than 12 days.
4. Hold to a routine - I would firmly suggest that parents should create a schedule for the day, that adds playtime where your child can get on their phone and join with their buddies, but it also should have technology-free time and time set by to help around the house. We need to think about what we value and build a structure that follows. It will be a great help for children to have a sense of a predictable day and a sense of when they’re supposed to be working and when they get to play. Talk to your child about their feelings - With school closures come canceled school plays, shows, sports events, and other curricular activities that children are deeply distressed about missing out on because of the COVID-19. This is huge for them than it is for us because we’re measuring it in terms of our life and experiences.
5. Check out your behavior towards them - Reply to their questions honestly, but don't offer casual details or facts. Don't avoid giving them the information that experts show as important to your children's well-being. I would like to urge parents to do what they can to control their anxiety in their own time and not to overshare their concerns with their children. That means a bundle of emotions, which may be hard at times, especially if they’re feeling those emotions rather deeply.
6. Guide basic Health & Hygiene lifestyle habits - Encourage your child to practice certain simple steps to prevent spreading the virus. Applaud your children when they sneeze or cough into the arch of their elbow. Teach them the importance of throwing away used tissues quickly after sneezing or coughing. Guiding what your child can do to limit viruses gives them a greater sense of satisfaction, which helps in reducing anxiety. Motivate your child to have a balanced diet, get sufficient sleep, and stretch regularly; this will help them develop a sound immune system to fight off disease.

           

It is very necessary to remember that children look to adults for direction on how to respond to stressful situations. Recognizing some level of concern is relevant and can result in taking certain steps that overcome the risk of breakdown. Educating children on certain preventive measures, talking with them about their doubts and worries, and giving them a sense of some direction over their risk of virus can help in reducing anxiety.

This is also a great chance for parents to create a strong bond during the process of helping children in problem-solving, flexibility, and compassion as we all work through setting daily schedules, balancing work and other activities, getting creative about how we use time, preparing new data from authorities, connecting and encouraging friends and family members in new forms. Still, if the problem is severe and you want some help, then don’t forget to reach out to the counselor and have a brief discussion on the concern you have about your child’s behavioral or emotional well-being and handling your family’s stress during the Covid pandemic.

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Why is it important for couples to think about their Mental Wellness?

Mental Wellness and Couple Relationship have a cause-and-effect connection, and they play a major role in the game called Life. Human beings are social creatures, and they seek comfort in other people’s presence from time to time.

Various studies indicate that our mood and overall psychological states affect our relationships. Whether good or bad, our mood will explain how we react to the difficulties in our relationships.

Almost 50% of the adult population experience signs of a mental disorder at least once in the course of their lives. Research highlights the fact that mental health breakdown can make an individual experience dissatisfaction, reduced efficiency, and impact productivity in work, and even impact well-being.

In my career as a Mental Wellness Coach, I’ve worked with couples in multiple settings. I’ve witnessed the healing effects that a healthy relationship can have on an individual struggling with mental health. Healthy relationships serve as a shield to help the individual in both physical and mental health conditions.

On the other hand, it’s well known that relationship stress with a partner can negatively affect the person who is struggling with mental health and make the condition worse. The stress in the relationship can affect them physically as well.

Now that we have got to know why mental wellness and relationships are inter-connected, I would like to share a few tips on why couples need to think about their mental wellness.

Here are ways Mental Wellness For Couples can be helpful and impactful:

Less Stress - Being in an active relationship is associated with less production of cortisol, a stress hormone. This suggests that paired people are less responsive to emotional stress and that the social and emotional support that comes with having a partner can be a great buffer against stress. There's even evidence to recommend that couples who stay together are more satisfied and peaceful than those that don't.

Deep Connected Relationship - Interpersonal relationships become incredibly difficult when one person is dealing with a mental health issue. This is especially true in the case of parenting. Here, the couple needs to set the boundaries and keep open communication regarding thoughts, feelings, and the situation they are going through.

Emotional Intimacy - Some mental health disorders, especially depression, can also let people spontaneously distance themselves from a partner just because of fear that their presence negatively affects others. Or, sometimes they simply don’t have the strength to socialize and end up departing from mates. Social withdrawal, however, can drastically degrade feelings of closeness or intimacy with a partner and eventually worsen other mental health traits.

Physical intimacy - Several emotional factors can also make it much more stressful for some people to engage in physically intimate acts like sex. In particular, depression and anxiety, as well as some of the pills used to treat them can lower libido and cause performance concerns like erectile dysfunction or painful intercourse.

Higher Quality and longevity of Life - Simply put, you’ll live longer and be happier when you care for your partner's mental health needs. When mental health issues are taken care of, then eventually there is less possibility of having any health risks. You’ll also be able to understand each other, socialize in healthy ways with your partner, be more resilient and keep emotional stability.

I’ve often seen the adverse effects of Relationship stress on people who struggle with depression, anxiety, and related complications. The partner may initially spend a lot of time taking care of that person and working hard to keep the relationship. This pattern can go on for years. But it often happens that the caregiving partner gets tired of this part because they’ve been ignoring themselves in this process. The result is that the partner may end up slowly withdrawing from the part of the caregiver, or may respond in angry outbursts. This can make the other person’s original traits more serious.

If one or both of the partners is struggling with mental sickness, these negative emotional reactions are often intensified. At a behavioral level, individuals tend to isolate themselves, may turn to alcohol and drugs addiction to numb heavy emotions, and sometimes turn to have extramarital encounters. When marital stress is at its peak, there’s a greater likelihood of being misused, the movement toward divorce, and male aggression.

Get help to get back on track!

Couples need to get professional help and guidance to get their relationship back on track before the situation leads to crisis relationships. Sadly, many couples who go to couples therapy have been experiencing these dysfunctional patterns of comparing to each other for a long time.

Many marital researchers and therapists claim that having a clear idea of what you want for yourself and in your relationship is important for the health of both the couple in a relationship and for the individuals.

A healthy outlook of the couple's relationship includes having rational expectations of the rewards that marriage brings, and realizing that it still requires personal effort by both people to make it work.

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Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Couples. How understanding Mood & Emotional State can enhance Relationship

  

Whenever there are talks about emotions, mood & mental health - people tend to react distinctively.

Some show empathy while some show lack of interest. For some, it is just random gossip while for some it doesn’t matter to them. When we see such ignorant reactions of some people, we feel like why did they react that way. There might be reasons like either they feel scared or uncomfortable talking about it or don’t get it because they haven’t experienced it.

Whether it’s a youth from today’s generation or a kid from Gen - X or a grown-up person from our previous generation, everybody goes through different mood swings & has different emotional reactions to different situations.

How do they manage? Either they are used to it & they manage somehow of their own or let it burst out open in front of everyone or in between their closed ones or they just don’t let it come outside, keep bottling up inside & when it comes out it is either troublesome for them or people around them.

Working on mood & emotional state becomes important on a personal level because one should not let these control your mind & body. Not just personally, socially it is equally that important - be it with family or in any surroundings as people who would understand your emotions & mood might calm you down but people who don’t might react in a manner that would leave one hurt more. We sometimes ignore this thinking that, ‘Eventually we will grow up without working on ourselves.

The real challenge comes when you start sharing your time & space with a partner. The first thing we do as human beings in a relationship is express our love, also we share things that affect us or disturbs our mood or emotions. In a romantic situation, we accept all these things verbally. The real test comes when we experience that situation. Sometimes out of love we just accept the partner’s mood, sometimes we tend to ignore, sometimes it leaves the other one hurt while some react counter-impulsively to one's mood.

These grow eventually from the first stage of the relationship until the last stage where the couple either separate themselves for not being tolerant or a situation where one partner doesn’t change their mood & reaction while the other starts ignoring them just to keep everything calm. Many couples just get separated due to anger management issues, lack of patience, Ego that stop them to fix up which starts from silly mood reactions. Meanwhile, in other cases, a partner might ignore their partner’s mood & emotion, but they don’t realize that this is just declining love & trust in the relationship.

But there is another category of couples who not only went through the same phase of troubles, misunderstanding mood & emotions but they improved personally as an individual & also grew as a couple together. To make a relationship stronger & keep that love for a lifetime - having open-mindedness & acceptability towards each other’s emotions is very important because the partner is the first person where he/she can express their unfiltered emotions. The person who conveys their emotions just expects their partner to have a non-judgmental acceptance.

We tend to make many decisions in our life out of emotion no matter whether they turn out to be good or bad. But the emotional side with your partner in understanding them & making them understand will just lead to peace of mind and build trust between the couple. Sharing & understanding the emotions have brought couples closer but it starts with the presence of emotional intelligence. Not just one person, both the partners should be emotionally intelligent, then only they can face the challenging situations in life together. Challenging situations in life put us at test on how to respond to those situations as an individual & also as a couple.

But when you deal with these problems with emotional intelligence, not only you personally come out of that problem but also you often help your partner to come out of it & walk off from the situation as a winner.

Now as you found how emotional intelligence can impact relationships, here are some basic hacks you can practice personally & together as a couple to manage moods & emotions and maintain a healthy relationship

Talk - Having a good conversation is the easiest way to solve all the problems. Speak your heart out.

Be a good listener - When a partner speaks, the other must be a good listener. A major problem is not listening from the heart. A good listener always tries to understand the meaning & depth of the emotion-blended words he/she has been conveyed.

 
Stop reacting furiously or impulsively in silly situations which eventually leaves embarrassment & awkwardness post the situation.

Convey peacefully to the partner things that disturbed or bothered you or left you hurt. The other partner should listen peacefully. Once a partner is calm, you can correct them politely what was right or wrong.

Never shy from apologizing for your actions if they left your partner hurt or affected. You won’t lose any self-respect if you take the step to save the relationship from your wrong action.

Emotional Intelligence is the key to manage the mood swings & emotional state of a person individually & as a partner together. Sometimes we know the problem, we have the solution to the problem too but we are unable to work it out. For a situation like this, you can always refer to a counselor or a couple therapists. There is nothing to shy from discussing your problems because they are the experts who can identify the real reason behind the situation which is not letting things work out. Once this is fixed, life becomes a joyful ride with a partner by your side.

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How to Deal With Anger Issues? Learn the skill of Anger Management

Anger management is a way to reduce the impacts that anger has on you. Anger is a natural reaction and feeling, so you can’t ever eradicate it completely. But you can learn to manage it better.

Managing your anger doesn't mean not getting angry at all. Instead, it involves learning how to identify, cope with, and expressing your anger in healthy and productive ways. Anger management is a skill that everyone must adopt. Even if you think you have your anger under control, there’s always a scope for improvement.

Anger is a strong feeling. It’s a common and healthy emotion that gets invoked when you are frustrated, hurt, annoyed, hopeless, or helpless. It could be the outcome of something that occurs to you, something someone said or did against your wish or something you remember. Anger can heal or hurt you, depending on how you react to it. If you can express the reason behind your anger without hurting someone else, it is better. It’s helpful when we need to protect ourselves, and it can motivate us to change things. But it can also make you beat out in ways that you shouldn’t.

Anger management involves a variety of skills that can help with identifying the signs of anger and handling triggers positively. It requires a person to identify anger at an early stage and to express their needs while remaining peaceful and in power.

Managing anger does not involve maintaining it in or avoiding associated feelings. Coping with anger is an earned skill nearly anyone can learn to control feelings with time, persistence, and commitment.

Ready to get your anger under control? Start by learning these skills of anger management.

Think before you speak

In the heat of the moment, it's simple to say something you'll later repent. Take a few minutes to collect your thoughts before saying anything and allow others involved in the state to do the same.

Once you're calm, express your feelings in a subtle & Assertive way.

As soon as you're thinking precisely, express your frustration in an assertive but non-confrontational way. State your concerns and needs clearly and directly, without hurting others or trying to dominate them.

Find feasible solutions

Instead of focusing on what made you angry, work on resolving the issue at hand. Does your child's untidy room drive you crazy? Close the door. Is your partner late for dinner every night? Schedule meals later in the night or allow you to eat on your own a few times a week. Remind yourself that anger won't fix anything and might only make it worse.

Stick with the 'I' statement

To avoid criticizing or playing the blame game, which might only increase tension, use "I" statements to describe the problem. Be polite and specific. For example, say, "I'm upset that you left the table without offering to help with the dishes" instead of "You never do any cleaning."

Don't hold a grudge

Forgiveness is an important tool. If you allow anger and other negative feelings to push out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your distress or sense of injustice. But if you can forgive someone who offended you, you might both learn from the situation and grow your relationship.

Use humor to release tension

Lightening up can help diffuse stress. Use humor to help you face what's making you angry and, possibly, any unrealistic expectations you have for how things should go. Avoid sarcasm, though — it can hurt emotions and make things serious.

Practice relaxation skills

When your anger flashes, put relaxation skills to work. Practice deep-breathing exercises, imagine a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming word or phrase, such as "Take it easy", or "just chill". You might also listen to music, write in a journal, step outside or do a few yoga poses whatever it takes to promote relaxation.

Seeking Help

If anger has been causing problems in your life and you’re striving to tame your temper on your own, you might require to seek expert help. Some mental health difficulties can be linked to anger management issues.

For example, Depressive disorders can cause anger and may be more difficult to manage. It's important to reveal any mental health issues that could prevent your ability to manage anger.

Start by talking to a mental wellness coach about your mood and behavior. Your coach will make sure you don’t have any physical health issues that are adding to the problem. Depending on your intentions and practice needs, therapy may include personal sessions as well as anger management sessions.

For many people, angry outbreaks serve a mission. Yelling at someone may get them to comply with your necessities. But while the aggressive act may get your wants met in the short term, there are long-term outcomes. Your words might cause lasting damage to the bond or even lead to its demise.

If you’ve been using your anger as a device, you may serve from learning better tactics, such as seeking advice or speaking up in a positive, but not offensive, manner. Talk to your coach about your anger issues if you want to know more about how to learn the skill of anger management.

If you need help to deal with anger management issues, contact Sangeeta Pattanaik to review your situation and help you Overcome your situation.

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What happens in a Couples Counseling Session?

  

Everyone faces issues in their relationships at one time or another. Sometimes, the problems seem to never get better. When problems begin growing bigger, considering couples therapy is a great option. By going for couples counseling, you are showing your spouse that you want the relationship to fix and are ready to put in the effort to help it do so. 

However, you may be wondering what exactly will happen throughout the sessions. What questions will you have to reply to? Will the counselor be very involved? By finding the answers to these questions and more, you will be prepared for your couples counseling sessions and be ready to put in the effort to make your relationship better.


I’ve often seen people are interested in knowing what happens behind the closed doors of a counseling room.

Then there are the people that enjoy gossip and drama, and just want to know the spicy aspects about others.

Well, I’m sorry to mislead, but what goes on in a couples counseling session is less about listening to the content of what people like and more about the process of how people are connecting with each other.

Here are some of the most simple things you can expect in an active couples counseling session.

Your counselor will want to know about your individual history

Your counselor must ask you about your personal stories, so they can take note of any important past issues that may have affected you in your life. We are all formed by our life experiences, and this, in turn, shapes how we compare to others.

So with these questions, I’m attending to any significant life experiences that may be affecting the couple's relationship.

Your counselor will ask about how your relationship started

This is a really important component of couples counseling.

I want to know what brought this couple to be together? What were they attracted to? Why did they want each other? Under what situations did they meet?

The answers to these topics help me decide important breakthroughs in their relationship, as well as have a clay sketch of where they’ve come from and where they want to go.

Your counselor will be interested in your current obstacles and issues in your relationship

The first thing I ask any couple I work with is I want to know what are the issues, problems, conflicts, or challenges that have led to this couple reaching out to me for couples counseling.

This is the most sensible place to start so that I have a handle on what’s going on, so we are all on the same page.

Your counselor will be addressing your strengths as a couple

I don’t believe couples counseling is all about looking for queries.

I believe a good couple counselor will also highlight the strengths they are noticing in a relationship.

This is important because it then means you can create on the strengths you already have in your relationship, particularly if you’re taking pre-wedding counseling.

Your counselor will want to know what kind of relationship you aspire.

If you don’t have a picture, you can’t get to your purpose. So you must share what type of relationship you want to have with your partner.

Most people come to couples counseling because they are unhappy or dissatisfied with an aspect of their relationship.

So to get off to a powerful start, I want to know exactly what they each want in a relationship.

This then helps us map a course for what the couple does want and doesn’t want. The idea is the end result they want to achieve and then we can start to plan the course of how to get there.

Your counselor will be proactive, sensitive and give open-ended real feedback

I approach couples counseling very differently from personal counseling.

I consider being an effective couple counselor you need to be very proactive and sensitive to the couple.

Couple counseling is very active, so it needs a dynamic counselor who’s not afraid to step in and negotiate when needed during the session.

If a couple counselor is sitting back and letting you fight in front of them for long periods, likely, you won’t encounter any long-lasting change.

A good couple therapist will guide the session so you’re both heard and any growths are suspended.

Change comes from doing things separately, not repeating the same thing over and over again.

Your counselor will constantly evaluate your performance mutually

Couples counseling is rarely something that you start doing with no termination date in the future.

An effective couples counselor will pause and review your work together frequently. This is so you can trace what’s working and what’s not working in counseling.

This also opens up the channels of feedback, so your therapist can also switch if required.

Any effective therapist is open to feedback- positive and negative, so don’t be afraid to tell your counselor how you’re finding the therapy and if there’s anything you want to be done differently.

This will help you get the most out of your work mutually and help you in getting the best-desired outcomes.

Couples therapy has helped millions of people throughout the nation. Understanding what to expect can reduce anxiety and stress about the method. Couples therapy is used for discussing problems in relationships without partners criticizing each other. The therapist serves as a facilitator to keep the conversations polite and come up with a strategy to enhance the relationship. You can expect questions and lots of open and honest conversation. Preparing for the sessions may be best to give you a sense of what will happen.

At ReLive Because YOU Matter, we offer couples counseling to help you both become the best versions of yourself and discover the best path for your Relationship Excellence.

Do you want relationship support?

If you need help with your relationship, contact Sangeeta Pattanaik on 095566 58935 to review your situation and find out how we can help.


You may also read her Book available on Amazon. Revive Clarity in your relationship. The book has many tips and interesting facts on couples. How to reconnect with the disconnected partner.

 
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10 Tips on How to Avoid Being a Workaholic.

      

The phrase “workaholic” can be used to define people who are dedicated to their professions and enjoy their work. But it refers to the people who observe the need to work or find themselves working, extremely. This is something that we have all found ourselves guilty of and influenced by at some point in our working careers. Work obsession can not only affect one’s health but also relationships too. When it comes to recognizing the signs and fixing the issue it is never easy.

What Are The Symptoms And Why Is It Bad For You?

Although it can be difficult to notice when you are a workaholic yourself, others may be able to locate some of the symptoms in you and help you realize your unhealthy work-life stability. These can involve:
spending most of your life working
compulsive work habits (checking work emails or catching up on work orders outside work hours)
work is your top preference above health, family, and everything else
experience stress when not working
diverting yourself from life difficulties with work
scared of taking time off

All of these symptoms will have serious effects on your health, both physically and mentally. It will start to make you feel more stressed and, as a result, will add strain to others' lives. It can lead to burnout and other mental health struggles such as anxiety and panic. Then it can affect your productivity at work. And importantly, being a workaholic will have a direct impact on relationships in your personal life.

Below we have listed 10 tips on how to avoid being a workaholic and to change the behavior pattern you may have fallen into.

#1 Set your work boundaries

You must set your working hours. For example, if you are supposed to leave work at seven in the evening, it should be so no matter what. It may also involve not checking emails and replying to clients while at home or on the weekends.

Always keep in mind that you work to support yourself, your family, and, more importantly, your professional satisfaction, empowerment, and happiness. So create clear boundaries that will help you move away from the workaholic category.

 
#2 Exercise Mindfulness

Mindfulness is something we have mentioned more often in our blogs. On this day, mindfulness plays a huge part in having positive mental health. Take time in your day to follow breathing techniques, being present in the moment, and noticing stuff around you. Indulge yourself in a bath, lose yourself in a book or do some exercise. These activities will help you slow down and listen to your own body, which in turn will help you to set your priorities.

 
#3 Practice responding “No”

Being a workaholic means that you find it tough to say no when you are asked to perform more tasks and therefore then management continues to give you tasks as they assume you are worthy to do them. Saying no can be scary and annoying that you will lose out on promotions or perks at work. Try saying things instead like “I’m sorry but I left with no time to do right now” or “I can’t help you with this, but I know someone who can”. Saying no sometimes will help to keep your work-life stability in order.

#4 Focus more on your Mental Health

By now, you must know workaholism affects physical and mental health problems. The latter reveals itself because of constant pressure to work, which affects your mind negatively. It further leads to increased stress, anger, anxiety, and despair. Being a workaholic affects your mental and physical response, which essentially decays your body completely.

In addition, you are likely to experience insomnia because your mind is in a perpetual race of planning and practicing. It also hurts your nervous system gradually.

#5 Admit you are a workaholic

If you don’t accept the fact of being a workaholic then things will never change. A problem you admit is a problem you can change. You might not be informed that your work behavior is typical of a workaholic and you may not be aware of how long it has been going on. That is why it is important to know the symptoms and be ready to realize them in yourself. Try to listen to others about you if they express concerns.

#6 Delegate and outsource tasks

Workaholics can find themselves working long hours to complete a task. While they could have delegated that task to someone else. Workaholics often don’t like to delegate or outsource work as they need perfection or to please others. This could be a waste of time, as the energy spent on doing this task could have been spent somewhere more meaningful. Delegate some work to others so you can work on things only you can do best. Outsource work, if the workload is too much.

#7 Understand What Makes Workaholism

Workaholism does not just follow. Various underlying points cause it. If these issues remain unresolved, no effort can stop you from being obsessed with work. However, if you know why and how you work, it helps solve the problem from the root.

Some of these sources include loss, failure, looking insignificant, feeling unneeded, feeling incomplete, and fear of being self. To numb these fears, workaholics devote much time to working. They assume, if they work more hours, they will earn more, enhance their status, while others want to be involved to seem to be doing something wise.

Overworking gives them a chance to stick on, which is counterproductive in the extended run. Such people need to overcome their panics first, and then, it will be easier to free themselves from the boredom of workaholism.

#8 Identify When to Stop

Everyone has a deadline. Yes, a certain threshold that you become destructible if you pass. And for this purpose, you need to learn to be content saying no once you enter your limit. Although you can make some quirks because of certain reasons, it should never become a daily norm.

To help you out, learn management ways on how to plan and prioritize your work.

#9 Write down your values

Take time to think about what adds meaning to your life. This will help you notice the inequality in non-work-related elements of your life that you’ve been trying hard not to emphasize. It could be people, situations, or actions that make you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Identify and write them down.

 
#10 Take time off

Although it looks like a simple tip on how to avoid being a workaholic, taking time off can be a tough job for a workaholic. They see it as a loser or weak to take time off but it will help you to be more productive when you return to work. Taking time off will prevent burnout and other health concerns. It might be using your annual leave for a vacation or time away with your family, or it might be taking time off recommended by a doctor. It is not weak or an option to do this at all, it is needed.

People contribute one-third of their existence working, so it’s easy to become a workaholic in no time if you are not concerned. For this reason, everyone needs to find the right work-life balance. It’s best that everyone gets one. It helps to maintain sanity and allows you an opportunity to concentrate on other crucial factors in life, like sleeping, walking, eating right, and spending time with your close ones. Not overlooking, constant exhaustion and burnout can block your creativity and productivity if you don’t find that equilibrium.

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The Benefits of Journaling on your Mental Health!

  

Journaling is a way of documenting your ideas and emotions in writing. It’s something I’ve often turned to when I’m feeling uneasy, as a way of thinking through issues and explaining them better. It’s also really cathartic to write things down - it’s like offloading concerns from your head onto the sheet in front of you. Writing down your worries can be a healthy way for anyone to help ease stress, and all you need is a pen and a journal.

"Some people like to keep a regular journal, like a diary, with a daily thought or affirmation but it doesn’t have to be as structured as this," says Sangeeta Pattanaik, a Mental Wellness Coach and founder of ReLive - Because YOU Matter.

"The peace and support that you gain with putting your feelings and ideas down on paper, together with the insight that comes from knowing and recognizing your emotional triggers, is a real formula for advanced mental health."

Benefits Of Journaling

Well, journaling is no longer old-fashioned or just for a certain older-and-wiser age. It’s something you need to do now. Yes, it’s true. Journaling does more than just help you save your thoughts or find self-expression. It’s great for your health.

From work and money matters to health problems, it's normal to feel overwhelmed sometimes - but particularly at the moment. The risk and fear surrounding the pandemic have severely taken a toll on mental health, leaving a lot of us anxious, stressed, and feeling low.

One of the key benefits of journaling on your mental health is that it maintains emotional regulation. Keeping a written journal can help to recognize patterns in your feelings and behaviors, which in turn permits you to recognize whether particular triggers affect your mood.

Journaling is also about externalizing worries and anxieties too. Your journal can be an outlet for anxiety where you can 'worry dump' and get all your ideas and emotions down on paper.

If you haven’t journal in a while, here are some unbelievable journaling benefits that will inspire you to get back into the habit.

Reduces Anxiety. An excess of stress and anxiety can be damaging to your physical, mental, and emotional health. It’s confirmed. Journaling is an incredible stress management tool, a good-for-you habit that lessens the impact of physical stressors on your health. A study showed that descriptive writing (like journaling) for only 10 to 15 minutes a day three to five times throughout four months was enough to lower blood pressure and increase liver functionality. Plus, writing about stressful experiences can help you peacefully manage them. Try writing a journal as a pre-bedtime meditation habit to help you relax and de-stress.

Keeps Memory Sharp. Journaling helps keep your brain in tip-top form. Not only does it increase memory and comprehension, but it also increases working memory capacity, which may reveal improved cognitive processing.

Promotes Mood. Want more sunshine in your life? Try journaling. A unique social and behavioral outcome of journaling is this: it can improve your mood and give you a greater sense of overall emotional health and peace.

Strengthens Emotional Functions. Associated with mood is how journaling benefits overall emotional health: As journaling habits are developed, benefits become long-term, meaning that diarists become more in tune with their wellness by combining with inner needs and wants. Journaling evokes mindfulness and helps writers remain present while keeping aspects. It presents an opportunity for emotional release and helps the brain control emotions. It provides a greater sense of belief and self-identity. Journaling can help in the management of personal adversity and change, and emphasize important patterns and growth in life. Research even shows that expressive writing can help individuals develop more structured, adaptive writing about themselves, others, and the world. What’s more, journaling opens and engages right-brained creativity, which gives you passage to your full brainpower. Truly, journaling encourages growth.

Promotes Immune Function. Believe it or not, expressive writing can increase your immunity and decrease your risk of disease. Those who journal boast improved immune system functioning as well as lessened indications of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Expressive writing has been shown to improve liver and lung function and combat certain illnesses; it has even been reported to aid the injured heal quicker.

However, a journal doesn’t have to be all about negative emotions. Positive psychology, giving importance to the good stuff, can help to shift your mindset to a more positive one. And the 'little wins' you experience doesn’t have to be main events or milestones - it can be as small as a text from a loved one or seeing the sun rising or sunset.

How to start journaling

Start with freestyle writing

Take out ten minutes each day when you are usually less busy. It can help to direct your 'stream of consciousness' - aka, writing down whatever comes into your head.

I often recommend 'freestyle writing', whereby you put pen to paper - or finger to board - and just write, unfiltered, without hesitating to check spelling, grammar, punctuation." It can be insightful to journal in this way and often drives some helpful research around what is going on for you that you might not have previously been informed of."

Choose a topic

You could also try selecting a topic each day. This could be a broad subject such as your relationship, friendships, or work, depending on what is on your mind.

"Within each topic, reflect on your hopes, ambitions, concern what you wish you'd done otherwise, how you made a positive impact, how you landed at your decisions." There are so many ways to explore your world in a journal.

Remember it is just for you

When you start to write a journal, you may feel doubtful or less interested. If this happens, it is necessary to write about those feelings. Your journal is just for you and you do not need to show it to anybody, so it is your confidential friend.

"Please do not think that you need to write flawlessly. If you want, you can include images, pictures, and colors and you can state if you feel angry. One page can be loaded with very untidy circles or zigzag lines. In your journal you can write anything in any way you like, as it is solely for you."

Think positive

Trying to 'be positive' can feel quite strange, especially if you are feeling concerned. That being said, it can help to write down three things that you are obliged for at the end of each day. "This can be easy - just a short paragraph to review each one can be a great mood booster.

Keep the journals safe

Keep the journals somewhere hidden but convenient as it can be useful to re-read, to ponder on how you coped with past concerns and what helped get you through. "At some point - it could be the next day, or in a week, month or year - you might read back what you have previously written. "New experience might come onward."

So, great. You get it: Journaling is helpful for you physically, mentally, and emotionally. But what if you find yourself stuck, looking fruitlessly at a blank sheet? Well first, discard the guilt of not being consistent or immediately motivated. Simply start where you are. If you need to initially just write a single line or detail the specifics of what you had for breakfast, do it. Don’t preoccupy yourself with managing perfect punctuation, structure, or spelling. Just write and don’t restrict yourself. This is for you. Just remember: You don’t have to be Shakespeare.

Lastly, If you’re looking to improve your mental health and prosperity, maintain a journal.

Do comment what all ways this blog added value to your life and don’t forget to share it and follow me on Instagram & Facebook - @relivewithsangeeta & ReLive-Because You Matter