Introduction
With the daily stresses of knowing “what comes next?” anything can happen at any time to anyone. No matter your job title in the office, the transition from the weekend to the workweek may be a daunting cross over for anyone. Your mind needs to shift from the relaxed atmosphere to the busy world of work. Planning ahead helps to avoid last-minute pressures and forgetting important tasks for the week ahead. Once Monday has been disturbed, it is likely that the rest of the week will be affected as well. In this article, you will find a few simple but effective ways in which you can save yourself from a having stressful week at work.
Related: Monday Can be Your Best Day at Work
Research has shown that many people have productive days at work when they plan their tasks and goals for their days and the week ahead (Healthline, 2019). There are some issues that can be avoided to leave time for the important tasks in order for one to enjoy their week or rather have it more bearable. Below, are some tips that may help with achieving a great week.
Set an alarm (or a few)
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Setting an alarm for the day may seem like a straight forward task that does not need reminding but more often than not, many people get caught out when their alarm does not go off in the morning. Before going to bed, one must ensure that their alarm is set at the time they intend to wake up the next day. If you are a person who does not wake up on the first alarm, it is fine to set multiple ones to avoid switching off the alarm when you think you have hit the ‘snooze’ button.
Plan your attire for each day
Knowing what to wear the previous day may save a lot of time that you may not have in the morning while preparing to go to work. Choosing what to wear may be a time-consuming task as there are various parts to an outfit that one needs to plan for. Louis (2018) explains how clothes can be a part of your productivity for the day. The colours that you choose when picking out your clothes can either brighten or dampen your mood. It would also be recommended to perhaps buy more clothes with uplifting colours for the days that you spend the most time in them.
Leave home in good time
Too often, people bargain with the time that they have to get to work. In a perfect world where everything happens at the same time every day, this would not be a bad idea. Unfortunately, in the real world, anything can happen at any time. One may encounter an accident along the way or a breakdown with their car. Something that is not planned for. As a result, it is always a good idea to leave time to allow for any uncertainties that may arise during the course of the journey to work. Ask yourself this question “how many times have I gotten to work late and had a good day further?” this question alone can help you in the future when you are thinking of what time to leave home.
Getting to work when there is still some time also helps with planning your day when you actually get to work. You are also less anxious when you get there because there is nothing that you would have missed upon arrival. In fact, you can squeeze in some time to do something that you like before work actually starts. For example, having a quick chat with colleagues or watching a short episode of one of your favourite shows. This act alone may benefit you during the day.
Exercise
Going to the gym has often been seen as a luxury by many but because of research, we have seen that exercise is a very important aspect of living a healthy life. It is widely known that not everyone can afford a monthly gym membership but that is no excuse to not get some exercise in during the week. Jogging in the neighborhood or doing star jumps at press-ups at home is a free type of exercise which one can enjoy thoroughly.
The National Health Services (2019), stress the fact that exercising helps in reducing stress by releasing hormones that increase happiness, as well as by losing weight. With your body cooperating in you not reacting negatively to the ills of the week, exercising may help in allowing you to have a stress free week.
Pack some snacks for the office
Having some snacks packed for the office may help you concentrate on your work. By snacks, healthy ones are recommended as sitting eating oily and salty foods may be damaging to the body while one is sitting at the desk throughout the day. By packing your own snacks, you one reduces the costs that they encounter than when they buy food at a fast-food outlet every day. Packing your own healthy food also gives you the control to know what exactly you have packed in the meal. Your health and your money are both saved by doing this. Research has been done on the benefits of having snacks such as popcorn, eggs, fruits, peanut butter etc. during the day. Below, some of these will be outlined as described by Medical News Today (2019):
- Popcorn – Popcorn is a healthy snack if eaten right. It is full of nutrients that are important for the healthy functioning of the body. These nutrients include fibre, protein, whole-grain benefits, vitamins and minerals. These nutritional values add to optimum body performance, resulting in less stress.
- Eggs – Boiled eggs are an easy snack that you can make in the morning while you are busy with other tasks for the day. Eggs are known for their high nutritional value in protein and essential oils found in the yolk. Although some colleagues may be put off by the smell of this food, you can find ways in which you can hide this, such as in a sandwich.
- Fruit – Fruit is famously known for its benefits in fibre, and other nutrients. Specialists on the Healthline (2019) highly recommend having ‘an apple day’. This famous saying was taken for granted when most people were children but now it is clear to see how “they keep the doctor away”.
- Peanut butter – This effective food can be consumed in so many ways that are beneficial to your health. An example can be peanut butter and oat bars/balls. These are very easy to make and very high in protein and fibre. Consider this snack next time you are thinking of what to eat when you are at work.
Set your daily goals
Forbes (2019) explains to us that setting goals even for the immediate future is very important and may improve your focus, overall improving your performance. It is a good idea to have a planner for the week or the day ahead. It is easy to full oneself in believing that it is possible to remember everything that may come during the course of the week. Everyone has experienced a situation where they may have forgotten an important task that they need to do for work or home and in some worse cases, some may forget important matters such as the meetings that they need to attend at the office. It is also said that by setting goals, one master themselves as achieving these goals builds character and in the future work becomes more bearable.
Transport
Living in Zimbabwe may mean having a tough time with transport for many people. At times, fuel is not available or cash for public transport may not be at hand with short notice. Because of this, it is important to ensure that, if you drive a vehicle, you try to fill up your tank during the weekend, to avoid the hassle of searching for fuel during the week. For those who use public transport, it is important to try and get hard cash during the weekend as well for a smooth journey to work.
Conclusion
It is evident that anyone can be affected by the weekly schedules that they encounter. Although this is strenuous, there are some ways in which one can turn that frown upside down. Remember to always think ahead, that way it can be possible to see any potential threats to the week that may arise. During the week, take time to relax as well, that helps in achieving a stress-free week. There is no harm in enjoying your days.
Thandeka Madziwanyika is a Business Development Consultant at Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd a management and human resources consulting firm. Phone +263 4 481946-48/ 481950/ 2900276/ 2900966 or cell number +26377 551 7211 or email thandeka@ipcconsultants.com or visit our website at www.ipcconsultants.com