Are you? - in sales, an executive, a weekend worker, a small business owner, Realtor, someone who needs to work while on vacation or maybe a significant other whose partner works weekends and/or evenings? If you feel stress because of the weekend/evening time spent away from home, working vacations or just working from home with your family around, then you need to reevaluate what causes your stress and the stress others feel because of what you do!
The stress that I have experienced or viewed in my life, came not from outside events or situations, rather, it came from me, or those around me, who chose stress, over acceptance of what was happening at that time in their life. Stress, to me, doesn’t come from evening or weekend phone calls, difficult family members, friends or co-workers or bosses! It doesn’t come from the flat tire when you are late for a meeting, being responsible for some big function, losing money in the stock or real estate market or even the death, affair or hurtful comments from a loved one.
Stress only comes to us when we allow it in our lives. I believe that stress is internally generated and we are solely responsible for how it affects us! We certainly can choose if we want to be stressed if we allow ourselves to succumb to it. We alone are responsible for our happiness, fears, life and stress! How easy it is to blame others or situations we experience, for how we feel. We say things like, if only they were nicer, friendlier, kinder or not so picky, we could be happy and content! My husband/wife’s affair or death caused me to……(fill in the spaces).
Stressful situations abound daily and surround us frequently. We can let it override our life or, we can choose to accept that difficult/stressful times occur naturally and we don’t have to let them rule our lives. My favorite quote is from Art Linkletter, who said, “Things usually turn out best, for the people who make the best, of the way things turn out”.
I have gone thru divorce, a wife’s affair, a lost promotion in the military, the death of a spouse and many work related things that I could have let overwhelm me! I chose instead, to make the best of things (in true Art Linkletter fashion)!
So, explain to your family, significant other, spouse and friends why you do what you do and how their acceptance of your work habits helps you and them. Let them know that you need to support your family and that your work brings you joy and gives you the opportunity to spend time with your friends and family. Make sure your family and friends know the benefit they get, from your success at work. Let them know that your work extends your happiness and ability to do fun things with family and friends! My children knew that when I took a weekend, vacation or evening call, that I was potentially making money for all of us! They were so supportive when I explained that I needed to take some time for work, so that they could get the things they wanted or needed!
