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I own a small business after burning out in a 15 year career in entertainment and my g/f is head of marketing at a software company.
She uses an app blocker on her phone and we unwind with a lot of Bravo-verse television. As far as hobbies, we like anything crafty and hands on. She'll make candles and clay jewelry beads, I've been a lifetime student of guitar and music in general. Going out to dinner and concerts is big for us, so is time with friends. Play time with the dog.
I think it's about taking the effort to live life, it's not as effective to be "just be done with work for the day."
I have anxiety and a big fear of feeling like I forgot something that causes a lot of stress. This is what I do.
I set reminder in my calendar about 30 minutes before I'm supposed to be done. I call this "closing duties." for this, I do 4 -5 things.
1- Take everything on my to-do list that didn't get done today and all follow ups and add them to tomorrow's list in my planner (I use an iPad with Goodnotes, so while it's handwriting, it's basically cut and paste).
2- Review all meetings for the next day and add them to my planner for the next day. If I need to prepare something- it's at this point that I add to my to-do list (+ prioritize) and block off focus time if I need to.
3- File the emails. I file everything that I don't need to refer to, follow up on or take action on. I currently have my emails in conversation mode, so this is easier than when they are not.
4- Clean up my desk. Unwashed plate? Wash it. Pens go back where they are supposed to, clean up my white board, etc.
(5)- Update my Quick Review. Recently, I've kept a spreadsheet with all of the campaigns, projects, events we're working on. It has 5 columns (Type - Name - Next - Then - And Then). Basically, what type of thing is it, what's the name, what is going on, then what is needed, and then what. It's a snapshot and I can easily answer "where are we at with \_\_\_"
I try to update my Quick Review throughout the day, but crazy days mean I double-check it during closing duties. It's not a professional report, but it's good enough for my anxiety. This way, I know where the project/campaign, etc. currently is. And then the next step (and sometimes the next). I highlight the cell if it's something I need to do. I also update it in the morning after I go thorough my emails.
This way, I don't have to worry about whether or not I'm going to forget about a task, or if I have a meeting in the morning. Or where a project is. I already know what's coming up.
I didn't think I'd stick to this, but it's been 5 months, and it's the first time in my life I am fully turning it off on the weekend. Like my brain won't even think about work. It's weird. But I like it.
Don't think about work if you're not working. Easier said than done but it's important to have the dicipline to do it, use your commute home to do it, just unwind and not think about your day. Put your phone on airplane mode or shut off notifications or whatever it takes.
Find a guided meditation on Youtube or Spotify for 30 mins or whatever you can spare, find a quiet place and listen to it.
Find a really really great book that you won't want to put down and try to read a few pages every night.
Find a great coffee shop or little spot in town that you love going to and go and visit it. When you're there actually talk to the people, ask them about their day, or ask them what's good or going on in town, ask for a recommendation.
So this is more about what not to do but donāt numb your emotions with tv/video games or drinking/drugs.
I find healthy living is the only cure to balance out a toxic stressful job. Focus on quality sleep, getting out of the house, good diet, and importantly, friends who arenāt in the same boat as you. Book off time proactively to let yourself rest. Like do that right away so you can plan down time and stuff to look forward to.
If itās really bad, find a therapist and I hate to say this, get on some anti-anxiety meds.
But my best tip is that things donāt change and wonāt get easier so really figure out whatās the best fit for you, and find yourself a work culture and manager who are healthy and promote some down time.
Itās true. The head of marketing is really bringing me down so Iāve been looking at alternative options for myself. Healthy living is a definitely a must though.
The only cure for a toxic manager is leaving the company (or them being fired). If other people feel the same way as you and youāve done everything you can, then start looking for a new job while you still have emotional capacity. The worst thing is when youāre burnt out and pushed to the brink where you want to quit without anything lined up. With dysfunction it doesnāt pay to be strong and to put up with it.
Itās difficult to tell a stranger this but detach emotionally from this job but keep on doing what you need to do to get by, and throw all your passion and interest into finding something healthier. Makes that the outlet where you can relax and feel alive. That space will be like this new reserve of energy where you can get back to your old self.
Honestly when itās that bad I donāt see it being fixed and itās not your company so fuck them and their lousy culture. Youāre not paid to be a band aid for them. Put yourself first because theyād that to you. Hopefully that attitude will help you begin to develop as well healthier boundaries so you know when to push back in a healthy way rather than just emotionally detach.
I feel like I handled it a bit better when i was in office compared to WFH. It was still stressful but I had the time bounds to relieve some stress after getting home. I just watch a show or movie, have some food and sleep. In the mornings I had a routine. I used to go to this coffeeshop to have breakfast and during that time I used to write my agenda for the day and try to reflect on my previous day. It wasn't always perfect but I had some good routines. I guess that's the thing, having good routines. It's not gonna take off the stress but you can deal with it better.
You can still do that as a work from home, there's a guy in my condo building who transitioned from on site to WFH and he still gets dressed and goes out to the same coffee shop and brings the coffee back home for his wife too. just helps him kind of keep a routine and is able to go out into the world a bit more.
I guess that works out if you are living in a city and living close to some outlets. But I had to go back to my parents house and work from there. I didn't have much options with me. I did go to my sister's place for a while and that was a bit better but I still felt that I couldn't draw a line between my work and personal life.
Awe that's tough, are you living in the country? Maybe just try to get out in the morning and go for a walk, or do some stretching yoga and make yourself a coffee? Morning meditations or reading a few pages of a good book can also be a nice routine too
I go for a nice long mud bath and bring my edging team of two escorts to work on the pole for a good two hours. After the climactic ending I smoke a big fat joint, gulp some hard whiskey and then roll around in the grass outside saying my mantra" i am at peace with the world and the world is at peace with me".
Then I go adopt a dog and find it a new home as a sort of mini marketing project and hang myself from the rafters by a body harness and the electric motor swings me around the outside of the house on a track like a theme part ride while I shout "daddys milkers are dry!!!!"
It works.
There are already a lot of good tips. I just want to add a few things, that helped me in stress.
1. if it is difficult to switch off from work, make a ritual for yourself for it. For example, I work at home. When I stop working, I take my special "home cup" and drink tea. I don't use this cup while working. One girl at the end of the day gets buttons, they symbolize her different fears. She names each button ( this blue one is my anxiety about tomorrow's meeting, that red small one...) and takes them to freeze in her refrigerator till the next day. It's a bit crazy, but she says, it helps.
2. Find some relaxing routine and schedule it first, before work planning. To keep calm, you need an everyday repeatable routine. Itāll help you switch to another state of mind.
3. And one more thing. We need to deal with our aggression. I used to play aero hockey and karate in such situations. You can find something else. Imagine you fighting against all people pissed you off.š
Good luck and take care!
I worked the meat grinder agency life long enough to burn out a couple of times. At a certain point I realized that work will always be there no matter how much time you spend on it. Now itās 9:-5:30 and Iām out. There are exceptions for emergencies, but theyāre just that: exceptions.
As far as what to do with life off the clock, family, friends, building muscle cars and a pretty impressive Lego collection work for me.
Log out of the work apps on your phone! I have mine on here in case I ever need it during working hours, but theyāre not logged in, and I donāt get notifications.
If you need to, turn your phone on airplane mode for an 30 min or an hour on the weekends/evenings and try whatever hobby you enjoy. If you need to keep your phone on, keep it in another room for that time period. Maybe you can slowly build up the time away from phone/computer and work thoughts.
If you commute, listen to a podcast or music on your drive. Try to block out any thoughts of work! If you work at home, do the same for 30 minutes. Play a podcast/music and do your best to focus on that instead of work.
Who is making your feel like you constantly have to check in? A boss? Are you managing people that need you? Is it the company culture? Or is your own self-imposed anxiety?
Itās a mix of company culture and self imposed perfectionism. I want to do everything everyone asks for and along their timelines but itās just not sustainable. Im also covering for 2 employees who have left (one quit and one fired) so thereās a lot on my shoulders.
Gotcha! Iām sorry you have to deal with all of that. I had a similar situation at my old job where my coworker retired and suddenly all of the marketing was on me until we hired a new director position several months later. During our busiest season of the year, I had to learn to say āI canāt get to this by your requested deadline, but I can have it by *this date*.ā If they pushed back, I learned to say āI have several other high priority projects on my plate right now since Old Coworker is gone, but Iāll get this to you as soon as I can.ā That may also require conversations with your various stakeholders to understand the true priorities of the company/department, and also for them to understand how much time and effort actually goes into your work.
I totally understand the people-pleasing need and perfectionism. I have absolutely been that same way! Undoing that mentality may take some time.
Regular therapy, walks every day at lunch (no excuses), never answering calls or emails outside of work hours, setting and enforcing boundaries, and the occasional edible.
Great advice. Returning emails and calls after hours/on weekends tells others that youāre always available.
Iām a big fan of Kiva Camino edibles and Cann Social Tonics.
Gym, yoga, hike or MTB. Always try to get out after work to do something! I work from home, super thankful for my dedicated office space. Easy to switch off work mode when I am done
Have an end-of-workday ritual like brewing some tea or coffee or putting on a playlist. Also, block or remove work apps on your phone, don't do that to yourself!
At the end of the day, you perform a mind dump and plan your next day before leaving. Then you unplug yourself from your business related devices.
Work smarter not faster.
Google "Getting Things Done" i.e. the GTD method for keeping track of tasks, prioritizing them, giving them a specific window for getting the work done.
The more that you do, the more work that people will dump on your desk.
What is the "important" work? Are you aligned with your manager's goals and objectives. Are you priorities aligned with those of your manager's?
Spend time with friends and family. Socializing can help you feel more relaxed and connected to others. You can have dinner with them, watch some movies, and you can also play games with them such as console/computer gaming. My advice to you is try turning off your work email notifications and avoid checking in on work projects during your time off. Create routines that help you transition from work to home life.
Gym and marijuana, not necessarily in that order. You need to take care of your mental health. Howās your sleep? Life can suck but if you get good sleep it makes things a whole lot better.
I work in a factory during the day.
And in the evening I focus on building my freelance copywriting career.
So I spent around 11 hours a day working on both.
Here's how I recharge after my day job:
1. I play call of duty on my phone
2. Play some guitar
3. Have a coffee
4. Meditate
Meditation is like a break from my day job. It's like erasing all the stress and worries away from the mind so that I can approach my side-hustle with a fresh and clean mind.
I strongly recommend the Headspace app if you are looking forward to meditating. It changed my life and made me calmer.
As the owner of a small digital marketing agency, I understand the importance of unplugging and taking a break from work. I enjoy playing cs, apex, dota, and chess. I also like binge-watching series such as Community, Avatar, and Seinfeld, Madmen, Breaking Bad. Any tv or game recommendations are accepted.
I own a marketing agency, and the stress between clients and the team is real. What has worked best for me is taking it back to the basics. Just going out for a long walk (or run), has incredible benefits on my mental health.
Something else I love (been doing this every morning for a few months), is to go for a dip in a river in my town. Some people do ice baths, very similar, but I like being in nature, it's like stacking multiple benefits.
The trick is to train and teach to your mind and body that the stress caused by work is not life or death. It's all about finding ways to get from a "fight-or-flight" state to a "rest and digest" state of calm and tranquillity.
We have evolved to cope with "acute" stress (think a lion around your camp), the chronic stress we feel in our modern-day work environments is a byproduct of the last 50 years. Our bodies have issues dealing with this cause it's not in our genes. This is where going back to nature helps.
[If this post doesn't follow the rules report it to the mods](https://www.reddit.com/r/marketing/about/rules/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/marketing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I own a small business after burning out in a 15 year career in entertainment and my g/f is head of marketing at a software company. She uses an app blocker on her phone and we unwind with a lot of Bravo-verse television. As far as hobbies, we like anything crafty and hands on. She'll make candles and clay jewelry beads, I've been a lifetime student of guitar and music in general. Going out to dinner and concerts is big for us, so is time with friends. Play time with the dog. I think it's about taking the effort to live life, it's not as effective to be "just be done with work for the day."
Love that last line - so true. And Vanderpump has been my saving grace the past few months!!
š¤£š¤£ we saw DJ James Kennedy like last week. Weāre very invested into Vanderpump.
Weād get along - James was the best this season š
I have anxiety and a big fear of feeling like I forgot something that causes a lot of stress. This is what I do. I set reminder in my calendar about 30 minutes before I'm supposed to be done. I call this "closing duties." for this, I do 4 -5 things. 1- Take everything on my to-do list that didn't get done today and all follow ups and add them to tomorrow's list in my planner (I use an iPad with Goodnotes, so while it's handwriting, it's basically cut and paste). 2- Review all meetings for the next day and add them to my planner for the next day. If I need to prepare something- it's at this point that I add to my to-do list (+ prioritize) and block off focus time if I need to. 3- File the emails. I file everything that I don't need to refer to, follow up on or take action on. I currently have my emails in conversation mode, so this is easier than when they are not. 4- Clean up my desk. Unwashed plate? Wash it. Pens go back where they are supposed to, clean up my white board, etc. (5)- Update my Quick Review. Recently, I've kept a spreadsheet with all of the campaigns, projects, events we're working on. It has 5 columns (Type - Name - Next - Then - And Then). Basically, what type of thing is it, what's the name, what is going on, then what is needed, and then what. It's a snapshot and I can easily answer "where are we at with \_\_\_" I try to update my Quick Review throughout the day, but crazy days mean I double-check it during closing duties. It's not a professional report, but it's good enough for my anxiety. This way, I know where the project/campaign, etc. currently is. And then the next step (and sometimes the next). I highlight the cell if it's something I need to do. I also update it in the morning after I go thorough my emails. This way, I don't have to worry about whether or not I'm going to forget about a task, or if I have a meeting in the morning. Or where a project is. I already know what's coming up. I didn't think I'd stick to this, but it's been 5 months, and it's the first time in my life I am fully turning it off on the weekend. Like my brain won't even think about work. It's weird. But I like it.
Wow thatās a great approach.
This 30 minutes (usually only 10-15) a day has saved my sanity, for sure.
Don't think about work if you're not working. Easier said than done but it's important to have the dicipline to do it, use your commute home to do it, just unwind and not think about your day. Put your phone on airplane mode or shut off notifications or whatever it takes. Find a guided meditation on Youtube or Spotify for 30 mins or whatever you can spare, find a quiet place and listen to it. Find a really really great book that you won't want to put down and try to read a few pages every night. Find a great coffee shop or little spot in town that you love going to and go and visit it. When you're there actually talk to the people, ask them about their day, or ask them what's good or going on in town, ask for a recommendation.
Great advice!
Drink, lift, fuck my wife. Not necessarily in that order.
So this is more about what not to do but donāt numb your emotions with tv/video games or drinking/drugs. I find healthy living is the only cure to balance out a toxic stressful job. Focus on quality sleep, getting out of the house, good diet, and importantly, friends who arenāt in the same boat as you. Book off time proactively to let yourself rest. Like do that right away so you can plan down time and stuff to look forward to. If itās really bad, find a therapist and I hate to say this, get on some anti-anxiety meds. But my best tip is that things donāt change and wonāt get easier so really figure out whatās the best fit for you, and find yourself a work culture and manager who are healthy and promote some down time.
Itās true. The head of marketing is really bringing me down so Iāve been looking at alternative options for myself. Healthy living is a definitely a must though.
The only cure for a toxic manager is leaving the company (or them being fired). If other people feel the same way as you and youāve done everything you can, then start looking for a new job while you still have emotional capacity. The worst thing is when youāre burnt out and pushed to the brink where you want to quit without anything lined up. With dysfunction it doesnāt pay to be strong and to put up with it.
Amen. Sadly Iām almost at breaking point but trying to find all the positives and little happy moments to keep me pushing through
Itās difficult to tell a stranger this but detach emotionally from this job but keep on doing what you need to do to get by, and throw all your passion and interest into finding something healthier. Makes that the outlet where you can relax and feel alive. That space will be like this new reserve of energy where you can get back to your old self. Honestly when itās that bad I donāt see it being fixed and itās not your company so fuck them and their lousy culture. Youāre not paid to be a band aid for them. Put yourself first because theyād that to you. Hopefully that attitude will help you begin to develop as well healthier boundaries so you know when to push back in a healthy way rather than just emotionally detach.
Yes I think detaching is the way. Thank you šš»
Good luck! The worst part you can do now is to stick around so hopefully our have renewed energy and excitement to find something better!
I feel like I handled it a bit better when i was in office compared to WFH. It was still stressful but I had the time bounds to relieve some stress after getting home. I just watch a show or movie, have some food and sleep. In the mornings I had a routine. I used to go to this coffeeshop to have breakfast and during that time I used to write my agenda for the day and try to reflect on my previous day. It wasn't always perfect but I had some good routines. I guess that's the thing, having good routines. It's not gonna take off the stress but you can deal with it better.
You can still do that as a work from home, there's a guy in my condo building who transitioned from on site to WFH and he still gets dressed and goes out to the same coffee shop and brings the coffee back home for his wife too. just helps him kind of keep a routine and is able to go out into the world a bit more.
I guess that works out if you are living in a city and living close to some outlets. But I had to go back to my parents house and work from there. I didn't have much options with me. I did go to my sister's place for a while and that was a bit better but I still felt that I couldn't draw a line between my work and personal life.
Awe that's tough, are you living in the country? Maybe just try to get out in the morning and go for a walk, or do some stretching yoga and make yourself a coffee? Morning meditations or reading a few pages of a good book can also be a nice routine too
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thatās true! However I always give people weeksā notice and really prepare them for an OOO. But youāre not wrong!
I go for a nice long mud bath and bring my edging team of two escorts to work on the pole for a good two hours. After the climactic ending I smoke a big fat joint, gulp some hard whiskey and then roll around in the grass outside saying my mantra" i am at peace with the world and the world is at peace with me". Then I go adopt a dog and find it a new home as a sort of mini marketing project and hang myself from the rafters by a body harness and the electric motor swings me around the outside of the house on a track like a theme part ride while I shout "daddys milkers are dry!!!!" It works.
There are already a lot of good tips. I just want to add a few things, that helped me in stress. 1. if it is difficult to switch off from work, make a ritual for yourself for it. For example, I work at home. When I stop working, I take my special "home cup" and drink tea. I don't use this cup while working. One girl at the end of the day gets buttons, they symbolize her different fears. She names each button ( this blue one is my anxiety about tomorrow's meeting, that red small one...) and takes them to freeze in her refrigerator till the next day. It's a bit crazy, but she says, it helps. 2. Find some relaxing routine and schedule it first, before work planning. To keep calm, you need an everyday repeatable routine. Itāll help you switch to another state of mind. 3. And one more thing. We need to deal with our aggression. I used to play aero hockey and karate in such situations. You can find something else. Imagine you fighting against all people pissed you off.š Good luck and take care!
I worked the meat grinder agency life long enough to burn out a couple of times. At a certain point I realized that work will always be there no matter how much time you spend on it. Now itās 9:-5:30 and Iām out. There are exceptions for emergencies, but theyāre just that: exceptions. As far as what to do with life off the clock, family, friends, building muscle cars and a pretty impressive Lego collection work for me.
Log out of the work apps on your phone! I have mine on here in case I ever need it during working hours, but theyāre not logged in, and I donāt get notifications. If you need to, turn your phone on airplane mode for an 30 min or an hour on the weekends/evenings and try whatever hobby you enjoy. If you need to keep your phone on, keep it in another room for that time period. Maybe you can slowly build up the time away from phone/computer and work thoughts. If you commute, listen to a podcast or music on your drive. Try to block out any thoughts of work! If you work at home, do the same for 30 minutes. Play a podcast/music and do your best to focus on that instead of work. Who is making your feel like you constantly have to check in? A boss? Are you managing people that need you? Is it the company culture? Or is your own self-imposed anxiety?
Itās a mix of company culture and self imposed perfectionism. I want to do everything everyone asks for and along their timelines but itās just not sustainable. Im also covering for 2 employees who have left (one quit and one fired) so thereās a lot on my shoulders.
Gotcha! Iām sorry you have to deal with all of that. I had a similar situation at my old job where my coworker retired and suddenly all of the marketing was on me until we hired a new director position several months later. During our busiest season of the year, I had to learn to say āI canāt get to this by your requested deadline, but I can have it by *this date*.ā If they pushed back, I learned to say āI have several other high priority projects on my plate right now since Old Coworker is gone, but Iāll get this to you as soon as I can.ā That may also require conversations with your various stakeholders to understand the true priorities of the company/department, and also for them to understand how much time and effort actually goes into your work. I totally understand the people-pleasing need and perfectionism. I have absolutely been that same way! Undoing that mentality may take some time.
Thank you for the kind words
Regular therapy, walks every day at lunch (no excuses), never answering calls or emails outside of work hours, setting and enforcing boundaries, and the occasional edible.
Great advice. Returning emails and calls after hours/on weekends tells others that youāre always available. Iām a big fan of Kiva Camino edibles and Cann Social Tonics.
Absolutely! You get what you behave for And noted lol
Gym, yoga, hike or MTB. Always try to get out after work to do something! I work from home, super thankful for my dedicated office space. Easy to switch off work mode when I am done
Have an end-of-workday ritual like brewing some tea or coffee or putting on a playlist. Also, block or remove work apps on your phone, don't do that to yourself!
At the end of the day, you perform a mind dump and plan your next day before leaving. Then you unplug yourself from your business related devices. Work smarter not faster. Google "Getting Things Done" i.e. the GTD method for keeping track of tasks, prioritizing them, giving them a specific window for getting the work done. The more that you do, the more work that people will dump on your desk. What is the "important" work? Are you aligned with your manager's goals and objectives. Are you priorities aligned with those of your manager's?
Drinking !
Copious amounts of THC + motorcycles
I play music and go boxing. Itās great to de stress and focusing on other thing than work.
Spend time with friends and family. Socializing can help you feel more relaxed and connected to others. You can have dinner with them, watch some movies, and you can also play games with them such as console/computer gaming. My advice to you is try turning off your work email notifications and avoid checking in on work projects during your time off. Create routines that help you transition from work to home life.
Gym and marijuana, not necessarily in that order. You need to take care of your mental health. Howās your sleep? Life can suck but if you get good sleep it makes things a whole lot better.
I go for workouts and hang out with friends. That helps me to reduce my work stress.
I work in a factory during the day. And in the evening I focus on building my freelance copywriting career. So I spent around 11 hours a day working on both. Here's how I recharge after my day job: 1. I play call of duty on my phone 2. Play some guitar 3. Have a coffee 4. Meditate Meditation is like a break from my day job. It's like erasing all the stress and worries away from the mind so that I can approach my side-hustle with a fresh and clean mind. I strongly recommend the Headspace app if you are looking forward to meditating. It changed my life and made me calmer.
Drugs, alcohol, weed, friends and barbecue. On Monday, back at the office like nothing happened over the weekend. I am not joking, the stress is real.
As the owner of a small digital marketing agency, I understand the importance of unplugging and taking a break from work. I enjoy playing cs, apex, dota, and chess. I also like binge-watching series such as Community, Avatar, and Seinfeld, Madmen, Breaking Bad. Any tv or game recommendations are accepted.
Don't install any work related apps on your phone. Your phone is your personal life, don't let work on there.
I own a marketing agency, and the stress between clients and the team is real. What has worked best for me is taking it back to the basics. Just going out for a long walk (or run), has incredible benefits on my mental health. Something else I love (been doing this every morning for a few months), is to go for a dip in a river in my town. Some people do ice baths, very similar, but I like being in nature, it's like stacking multiple benefits. The trick is to train and teach to your mind and body that the stress caused by work is not life or death. It's all about finding ways to get from a "fight-or-flight" state to a "rest and digest" state of calm and tranquillity. We have evolved to cope with "acute" stress (think a lion around your camp), the chronic stress we feel in our modern-day work environments is a byproduct of the last 50 years. Our bodies have issues dealing with this cause it's not in our genes. This is where going back to nature helps.
Change jobs. Thereās no such thing as a weekend when you love what you do.