Life After the Office: Embracing Your After-Work Support System

Having a demanding work culture, especially the traditional 9-to-5, makes us feel weary sometimes. The minute it’s time to head out of the office, we’re on to the next best thing - finding joy and balance for a personal life. Because of this, it is without a doubt that having a strong and safe support system matters above all else. The pressures of meeting deadlines, handling challenging projects, and maintaining performance standards can be overwhelming. A reliable support network - whether it’s family, friends, or a community group - can make all the difference.

Here’s why:

An Emotional Blanket
Firstly, a support system provides emotional relief. After a long day of work, having someone you can rant to or share how your day went can release a lot of tension. You know the feeling of being in a cold room and all you want to do is get under the blanket for warmth and comfort? This is the type of feeling you get from having a safe space that helps you relax. Through this, you get to avoid a mental breakdown and burnout because you share your bothersome thoughts.

HELP NEEDED!
Also, a support system offers practical help. Balancing work responsibilities with personal life can be challenging most of the time. Friends and family can help by lending a hand when your work seems to get in the way. For instance, having someone pick up your laundry from the shop before it closes or help with errands while you’re still stuck at work can ease the burden (and stress)!

Find The Balance
It’s easy to get caught up in work, especially with the norm of remote work and constant connectivity - it can be pretty hard to see the fine line between being connected and unplugging. Having plans with friends or family encourages you to step away from work and disconnect, even if it’s just for a few hours. It can be as simple and brief as a coffee run with a friend to take a breather. This little break allows you to recharge your mind, leading to improved focus and efficiency when you return to work.

A Different POV
A strong support system may also provide different perspectives and solutions to work-related problems. Sometimes, discussing an issue with someone outside of your work environment can shed new light on it. It’s also never a bad idea to get more thoughts and insights on a certain issue because chances are, they might just reveal a solution you didn’t consider.

Happy Happy Happy
Humans are social beings, and meaningful relationships are a key component of a fulfilling life, be it with family, friends, and even colleagues. Knowing that there are people who care about you and are willing to support you creates a sense of security and belonging, which (let’s be real) is the biggest blessing in life, especially in this fast-paced world.

Now pick up that phone and make plans to see YOUR support system!

Photo by Elevate on Unsplash.