Divorce is on the the list of one of the top 10 stressors we can face, and it impacts every aspect of our lives, including our professional career. So how can you continue to be productive as you’re going through this huge life change that is likely causing you stress and consuming your thoughts? We’ve put together a list of 5 things you can do to help keep your divorce from affecting your job.
Talk to Your Boss
Not everyone feels comfortable discussing their personal life at work, and in this situation, it’s best to keep the explanation simple without going into a lot of detail. You can tell your boss that you are going through a very challenging time, but you are committed to your job. Let your boss know if you anticipate any time constraints or challenging deadlines in the near future and offer suggestions for how you can still meet your goals. Also, let your boss know that you will use your vacation time for any days that you need to take off for appointments or court appearances.
Limit Divorce Discussion with Co-Workers
This can be tricky if you have close relationships with your co-workers and because you likely spend much of our day at work. However, talking about your divorce at work will likely cause you to shift your focus away from your work and may also fuel the office gossip and affect your future career path.
Limit Divorce Related Calls & Correspondence
To help keep your mind focused on your job while you’re at work, try and limit any divorce related calls, emails or texts. These seemingly little disruptions throughout the day can really take your mind off your work and start you down a rabbit hole of more emails and texts and calls. If you need to make calls during the work day, it’s best to wait until your lunch hour or a break time where you can go to your car or leave the office building to do so.
Make Self-Care a Priority
Even though you spend most of your day at work, you can implement some self-care tips to help get you through the day. Pack yourself a healthy lunch and snacks, take a walk during your lunch break, sit in your car and do a short meditation, keep a journal in your purse so you can write down your thoughts and feelings, and keep a calendar of inspirational quotes on your desk.
And outside of work, continue your healthy eating habits, exercise and spend time with your support system. Call or visit your friends or family members who love and support you.
Compartmentalize Your Day
When I was going through a divorce there were times when I wanted to crawl under a blanket, shut out the world and hide. But that just wasn’t practical most of the time and I found that being productive helped me stay focused. An effective way to stay productive is by scheduling your time, and doing so will help you feel like you are continuing to move forward.
One way to do this is by making a list of everything you need to accomplish each day. Include even the “simple” things like going to the grocery store, picking up the kids from soccer practice, and making dinner. Your schedule should also include some down time for self-care and also time to let yourself feel your emotions.
Going through a divorce is a highly emotional process and can have a huge impact on your life. But it doesn’t have to derail your work performance or your career plans. And there are good things that can come out of divorce such as a promotion or recognition because you worked so hard to keep yourself busy, a better relationship with your boss and co-workers, and even the realization that you want to pursue a different career path.
Here are some other blog posts that you may find helpful.
5 Mindset Shifts to Ease Divorce Trauma
30 Journal Prompts to Help You through Your Divorce
Life After Divorce: 21 Inspiring Quotes to Help You Move Forward
