A friend of mine works from home, and work is brutal for her right now. Senior leadership completely changed, the culture changed with it, and the job she loved is now sucking her dry. She's miserable, and she needs out.
The simple remedy is a new job, and she resolved to start searching. Except she never quite got around to it. At night, after her corporate work was done, she was too exhausted to spend time on applications. Weekends went to the couch, the TV and naps.
She was on a downward spiral where every hour she had was depleting her account instead of paying her dividends.
Two tweaks shifted enough that she got her life back.
Tweak one: an hour on herself before she gives to everyone else
She blocked an hour every morning, from 8 to 9 am, to job search. She is making progress, and no one has missed her because her meetings don't start until 9. Knowing it's done gives her solace on the frustrating days.
Tweak two: lunch started feeding her
My friend loves to cook. She gets giddy about trying new recipes, but many nights she was ordering DoorDash or eating cereal and milk. Her lunch break was 10 minutes of eating while checking email and 20 on the treadmill because it's good for her blood sugar. Now she spends those 20 minutes cutting up veggies for dinner. Cooking is enjoyable again, and she has so much more energy. She even decorated her house for the holidays and is still getting in exercise.
Twenty minutes with a cutting board at lunch, and making dinner stopped feeling hard.
Same hours. Now they pay her back.
She didn't have to book a retreat or add a meditation routine. Enough of what you spend your energy on has to put energy back, or you cannot win.
It works on a better day too
Your situation is hopefully nowhere near as painful as hers. But if these tweaks worked for her, they can work for you during the busy holiday season.
Spend your flexibility on you this season
Spend your peak energy on you. Do what matters most to you (not your job) while you're fresh.
Swap one should for something that feeds you. Coffee with a friend or dancing in the kitchen. If it lights you up, it counts, and twenty minutes of it may be what gets you through the seventh holiday party of the season.
Rest without the guilt. A rested you is less cranky and gets more done.
Get the to-do list out of your head. A different friend dumps her whole list into an AI bot and lets it schedule by priority. She feels less overwhelmed, because the list stopped swirling in her head.
Book your days off before the work does. My friend's 8 to 9 works because it's on the calendar. Block your holiday days now, before meetings fill them.
Barter the chores you hate, like folding laundry. Trade it for a chore someone else hates.
A checklist as you unplug
Send your dates to clients and colleagues in writing well in advance
Name who covers immediate items, and the day you'll return to cover the rest
Set your out of office and block your calendar. Avoid peeking at your email.
Leave yourself a note on what to do when you're back so you don't have to hold it.
Set the time aside and hold firm to what matters, and the important things still get done. What's left over is the joy, and this season, that's the part worth making room for.
Jamie Leavitt is an executive coach, transformational hypnotherapist, HR Consultant and the founder of The Inner Rewrite. She knows burnout firsthand, after 25 years in corporate talent, 12 in recruiting and 13 in HR. Now she helps burned-out women build a life that feels sustainable and fulfilling.
🌺 Find Joy in Your World Today
Want some good karma? Forward Thrive Remotely to a friend with your unique referral link.
Looking for valuable tools, masterclasses and ebooks? Check out The Exchange!
Want to reach remote pros who actually read their email?
Partner or advertise with usLooking for a new job? Check out our curated Job Board
Help support this newsletter? Buy us a coffee 🙏🏻
Not yet a subscriber? Join our mailing list
