by Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of Diary of a Mother
Does your work week drag by? Do you live for Friday afternoons? Here are ten tips to help you enjoy each day, including the ones that come after Sunday!
1) Make a list of priorities each Sunday evening. Include not only the "have-to's" but also fun things to look forward to. Have at least one thing to which you can look forward each week (a massage, coffee with a friend, a date with your partner).2) Utilize your lunch hour to read your favorite book or take a walk in the park. If you work in a city, try out a new restaurant and invite a friend from work whom you'd like to know better.
3) If you have children, help them decide the night before what they will wear to school. It helps cut down the pre-work stress which can spill over into your work day.
4) Exercise is a wonderful mood-booster. Go to your local gym after work twice a week. Or if you are an early bird, consider getting up an hour earlier to start your day right. It will sustain your energy throughout the week.
5) Make one day a week your "artist's date". Treat yourself to something special, whether it is an ice cream, a new magazine, or a flower.
6) Change your route to work periodically. Going the same way every day can get monotonous. Change the radio station to which you listen or listen to books on tape.
7) Decorate your office or cubicle with colorful posters, postcards, or other things which make you feel good.
8) Write down a work-related goal list. Each time you accomplish one task, move it over to your success sheet. Excel works well for this type of activity. At the end of the week, look over your list of successes. It will help confirm what you have done for the week.
9) Wear comfortable clothing. If your waist has expanded in recent years, don't try to squeeze into that old pair of pants which no longer fits. Wear things that make you feel empowered and good about yourself.
10) Take a day off! Not every week, of course. But why not consider a long weekend every now and then. It will give you a much-needed break. Take the break before you're burned out. It will help sustain your energy until the next time you have an extended vacation.
Carpe diem! Seize the day! Today truly is the first day of the rest of your life.
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Christine Louise Hohlbaum is an American author (Diary of a Mother, SAHM I Am, and "American Housewife Abroad" at AnotherChapter.com) living near Munich, Germany with her husband and two kids. She has been published in hundreds of publications and instructs authors in book promotion. Visit her Web site: Diary of a Mother
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FYI note from Vannie - see Related Link at right for information concerning an April 10, 2004 online chat interview with author.
From the Author: Erma Bombeck may be gone, but her spirit lives on in my humor writing. Parenting in the 21st Century can be a daunting task. The world needs a reason to laugh; Diary of a Mother is reason enough to do just that!
This article has been reprinted with permission for http://www.workandfamily.bellaonline.com. (c) 2004 Christine Louise Hohlbaum, All Rights Reserved.
