Sunday night dread
The weekend has been great and so much fun. You met up with friends for lunch and had a great laugh over a glass of wine. You had a lovely walk with the family and parents, and got covered in mud by the dog. The whole family snuggled up on the sofa on Saturday night to watch a movie with popcorn. Wow! What an awesome weekend! But now it’s Sunday late afternoon, and a feeling drifts into your consciousness; a slight dread, a negativity, a slump. Your weekend fun ends on Sunday afternoon as you realise that tomorrow the new week begins at work. Can you relate to this feeling?
Work related Stress
You might downplay how you are feeling and not believe that actually you are suffering from a certain level of work-related stress. As with everything, it’s all about balance, and a small amount of pressure at work can help motivate you. However, if the pressure and demands in the workplace are becoming too high then you may be experiencing work-related stress. As well as not performing as efficiently as you could be at work, stress can also negatively impact your health and increase your risk of mental health conditions, anxiety and depression.
You may have coped just fine with your job in the past so now you are unsure why you feel this way now. It’s good to realise and accept that people change how they feel about situations over time. It is important to be in tune with yourself and recognise how you are feeling. If that Sunday dread happens every week, if you feel anxious about the week ahead, it’s time to reflect on your situation right now.
How are you feeling?
- How do you feel about the demands of your job? (Deadlines, expectations, workload)
- Do you feel that that you are lacking control in your job role?
- Do you feel supported by your team and managers?
- Do you lack confidence or direction in your job?
- Have you reached a point where you feel stuck and you are now longer advancing?
- Are you excited and enthusiastic about your week ahead?
How does work related stress affect everyday life?
When you are unhappy in a job, and experiencing work-related stress, it does not just stay at work. The effects will follow you around into your homelife too, and you may not even notice that it is happening. Changes don’t just happen over night, they progressively worsen. I speak from experience as I kept trying to quash my feelings, only to see them bubble up at home when I was with the children, or trying to enjoy something non-work related! So time for an honest reflection of whether you are experiencing any of the following:
Do you recognise an of these?
- Feeling tired and lacking energy to spend quality time with the family
- Tummy trouble such as indigestion, constipation or diarrhoea
- Physical symptoms – muscle aches, pains, sickness and headaches
- Chest pains, tightness, anxiety heart flutters
- Calming yourself down with alcohol
- Feeling more emotional and snappier with family members
- Having mood swings
- Having a shorter fuse and completely over-reacting about trivial things (watch out partner/children)
What to do next
If you recognise these factors playing out in your life, it is important to tackle them and not just ignore them. Reaching out and getting support from your current employment is your first port of call. There may be things that can be put in place that can help alleviate some of your stress. There is no shame in admitting that you are stressed at work! And it is their responsibility to find solutions that can work for you.
Another option is to reach out to your GP and explain how you are feeling. They can often refer you to people who can help further. You may also consider complementary therapies that feel aligned with you.
Build the life that you don’t want to escape from
At the start of this post I asked the question, “Do you daydream about working for yourself and the different life you could have?”
Is there this niggle, a nudge, a recurring thought that you are the one who is meant to be running the show? This was absolutely how I felt, even though initially I had no idea what my true calling was, other than the fact that I love designing. It’s not in all of us by any means! But if you are one of those people who cannot shake the thought of running your own business, then you can use your unhappiness at work as a spring board to take some action!
Have you procrastinated for ages about taking the leap? Are you shrouded in self doubt? If so….that is all absolutely normal…but I want to you know that it is also ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE FOR YOU.
A new scenario
Picture a new scene…it’s Sunday afternoon again, and you have enjoyed a lovely weekend with the family and your friends. Thoughts turn to the upcoming week, and you are now checking that you have the kids uniform ready. You’ve had such a fun weekend, did you remember to put the wash on??
You think about tomorrow, and you have a sense of calm and contentment. You have already planned out your day on Monday and you know what’s coming up (Get you – super-organised!).
You smile because after you drop the children at school tomorrow you will be going to your Yoga class to begin your working week. Your first client is booked for 11.30 and you’re really excited about working with them! You know how much impact you are going to make in their life, and you are itching to get going.
- Your life is what you make of it.
- You are the author of your own story.
- How do you want your Sunday afternoon to feel?
Practical next steps
If you have crafted your fabulous business idea in your head, and you are picturing the type of person you want to work with, then you have all you need to make a start.
You do not have to march into work and tell your boss to stuff-it, even though you may fantasise about that happening and chuckle to yourself. For most of us, that’s not really an option. My first suggestion would be for you to broach the subject of cutting down your hours at work. My first drop was from 5 days a week to 4 days. It actually wasn’t a huge drop in pay once you factor in taxes and national insurance. It was a manageable cut that then allowed me to focus some time and energy on my new business.
Your first steps should be to uncover who you are, what is your brand, and know your mission and your vision of your small business. Do not view it as a hobby. It is your business, and you are the CEO…even if it is just in its infancy. Establishing yourself online is key, even if you are just beginning. Building up your reputation and online presence takes time, so you need to get it started as soon as you can…and then continue to feed it.
It is hard to do everything all by yourself, and to know all the steps you need to take, so take advice, listen to trainings and enlist help from others who have been there and done it!
As your business starts to build you may be able to drop more days at work until you get to the point where you are ready to let it go completely.
If your job doesn’t cater for this, then initially you may be working some evenings to get things moving…but know that the end is in sight!
How I can help you
I work with quietly ambitious women to create an impactful online business with a standout brand! I know firsthand how you can transform your life when you step into your own power and create your own business. If you have a great idea that lights you up and you are passionate about then it’s time to make that a reality. You can imagine it as much as you like, but until you take action, it will only ever remain as an idea.
I have helped numerous women, just like you, to take that idea and drag it out into reality. These women now are CEO’s of their own successful businesses. They work from home or while they travel. They are able to spend more time with their families, and also give the best of themselves when they do. The pressure they feel is from their own ambition, rather that inflicted upon them.
So what to do
Get in touch with me to have a chat about your awesome idea. A free 30 minute discussion where you get to ask me what ever you like. Send me a message via the website contact form, or apply for a free call. I cant wait to hear how you want to build your life for the future!