Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch
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By: Julie Sekachev, M, Ed., LPC Associate Do you struggle with getting organized for back to school? Does going back to school or college seem overwhelming? Do you struggle to stay organized and have a hard time finishing tasks? Keeping things organized is very important for our brains to function effectively. Clutter can create unnecessary […]
Do you struggle with getting organized for back to school? Does going back to school or college seem overwhelming? Do you struggle to stay organized and have a hard time finishing tasks? Keeping things organized is very important for our brains to function effectively. Clutter can create unnecessary stimuli for your brain to have to process, using up your mental energy and leaving you drained.
Being organized is a learned skill you can develop through healthy habits. The most important thing to keep in mind when organizing your environment is effort and commitment. Read below for ways to get rid of the overwhelm and organize your space.
https://clockify.me/blog/productivity/time-blocking-planner-templates/. Time blocking helps you decide your priorities of the day and get more accomplished vs. to do lists that do not have time bound deadlines.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/organizing/a25846191/what-is-the-konmari-method/
Accomplish More With An Organized SpaceOrganization can help you gain a sense of control, accomplishment, and pride over your work and environment. Organization leads to higher efficiency in accomplishing day to day chores and projects. Furthermore, if you can create a system to stay organized, whether decluttering regularly or committing to finishing assignments the day you intended, you will actually gain more time to spend with friends or doing other things you enjoy. I want to encourage you this coming school year to make a commitment to yourself and begin! Your future self will thank you.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and want help to get organized and feel less overwhelmed, the therapists at The Center at Cinco Ranch can help! To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:
Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch we offer counseling services for people of all ages in areas including: counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, couples counseling, eating disorder treatment, men’s issues, women’s issues, anxiety treatment, depression therapy, family therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to regularly post blogs. We provide helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!
By: Denise Servin, M. Ed., LPC Associate Working from home has quickly gone from being a rare luxury that most of us didn’t have the opportunity to try, to becoming an almost expected way of life. There will always be some kind of work that doesn’t easily lend themselves to the system of working from […]
Working from home has quickly gone from being a rare luxury that most of us didn’t have the opportunity to try, to becoming an almost expected way of life. There will always be some kind of work that doesn’t easily lend themselves to the system of working from home. But, in many cases, working from home has meant the difference between staying employed and attempting to change jobs or even careers in the middle of a pandemic. At first, it was a strange idea to get used to. Also, it wasn’t an idea you could simply relax into as a new normal. There was no real end date that could be confirmed. Maybe you still don’t have a firm date for when you will be 100% back to working in-person. You may find yourself facing the reality that home is no longer the place you can go to escape from the stress and anxiety of work. The need to find ways to separate home life from work like has become stronger. It has also become even harder to achieve. How do you get back to a place where you can separate the two?
There are some things you can’t control. Emergencies and surprises happen. But, try your best to keep a schedule that (mostly) works for you every day. When you have a clear picture in your mind of how the day should go, you are much less likely to feel stress and anxiety around how the day will turn out. When you’re feeling less stressed, it’s a little easier for you to handle any surprises that come up.
Yes, one of the best things about working from home is the relaxed dress code! But, don’t fall into this trap. Dressing as you normally would for work sends a signal to your brain that it is time to work. This helps to clear up some of the confusion your body might be feeling about separating work and home. You don’t have to get all dressed up if it isn’t really necessary for your work day. The idea here is that you want to be able to clearly identify and separate work time while still taking advantage of the comfort that working from home provides.
It’s perfectly fine if you don’t have a completely separate home office space. Maybe you have some space that meets your requirements for work, but you’re also using it for other things. Don’t go out of your way to create more stress! Just do what you can to separate that space. Again, this sends the signal that you are only focused on work when you are in this space. This can be as simple as having something like a small piece of wall art or a foldable desk that is only in that space when you are working.
Do you have an activity that works like a charm to put you in a relaxed space? This could be mediation, working out, having a cup of tea, or even doing the dishes. The point is that you choose something you can consistently do every day at the end of your work day. This will not only serve to reduce your work-related stress, but it will also be your daily reminder to physical and emotionally let go of your work day.
Learn How to Balance Working From HomeWorking from home offers many benefits. But, there is a strong pull to make the most of your time at home. When will you get this opportunity again? Shouldn’t you be getting so much more done? It can be so easy to get caught up in the idea of trying to make good use of your time at home by fitting home-related projects into your day. But, it is best for your mental health to try to create as much separation between home and work as much as you realistically can.
If you have tried these options (or something similar) but you are still experiencing burnout, you may want to explore your current coping skills and how to improve them. In therapy, you can examine what you have tried to achieve a better balance while working from home. You can explore patterns, what has worked for you, and what hasn’t worked so well for you. Your therapist can also suggest and teach coping skills that might work better for you. It is possible to overcome burnout and get closer to balance with therapy and support.
If you are ready to avoid burnout and reduce the stress in your life, the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide treatment for stress management as well as cater to specific needs for adults, teens, and children. To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:
Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch we offer counseling services for people of all ages including: depression treatment, women’s issues, couples and marriage counseling, eating disorder treatment, counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, men’s issues, trauma counseling, anxiety therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to regularly post blogs with helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!
By: Jessica Johns-Green, LPC Burn-out is a state of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion typically brought on by a period of prolonged stress. It’s more than just stress about work. What Is Burn-Out – How To Recognize It Work related burn-out, although not a medical diagnosis, has long been recognized as a phenomenon. However, burn-out […]
Burn-out is a state of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion typically brought on by a period of prolonged stress. It’s more than just stress about work.
What Is Burn-Out – How To Recognize ItWork related burn-out, although not a medical diagnosis, has long been recognized as a phenomenon. However, burn-out doesn’t have to be related to a job. Home based parents, students and others can also be affected. People who have perfectionistic tendencies or are ‘Type-A’ personalities may be more at risk for burn-out. Signs of burn-out include:
Work-From-Home Burn Out is gaining attention as a growing problem. The following is a link to an article in the Harvard Business Review on tips for WFH Burn-Out https://hbr.org/2020/04/3-tips-to-avoid-wfh-burnout. While it may have seemed amazing to work from home and lose the commute at the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak, many are discovering that the change of work practices has increased stress. Among other things, working from home might make it harder to switch off and create space between work time and me-time.
The Mayo Clinic offers this list of burn-out risk factors (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642). There are risk factors that have become more common during this current Covid-19 pandemic. Burn out needs to be on our radar as many people try to keep afloat and hang onto jobs in this time of uncertainty. Burn-out risk factors include:
Burn out can feel intense. There is hope and you can turn this around. Here are a few things you can try to help reduce burn-out.
Having unrealistically high standards backfires. This means expecting more from yourself or a situation than is possible, and being unwilling to tolerate or cope with less might inspire hard work. But it will more likely leave you exhausted and burned out. Which may offer clues as to why those with perfectionistic tendencies are more likely to suffer burn out. Even the most talented and gifted people need balance and the right attitude to deal with failure and disappointments. Challenge yourself to set reasonable expectations.
If we don’t feel that our job gives meaning, or doesn’t align with our personalities and ideals, burn-out is more likely to follow. Even if you don’t have your dream job, can you carve out time to spend on your priorities? Create balance between what you have to do and what you do that feeds your passion.
Rest, nap, take some time off. Exhaustion won’t go away without rest. Whether this means a vacation, a leave of absence to recover, or just being more dedicated to taking coffee breaks, time to chat with friends or leaving work on time. A few minutes a day to focus on you can make a huge difference!
Therapy can be a useful way of developing burn out prevention and recovery strategies. Book a brief phone consultation or a session with one of our licensed counselors or supervised interns.
If you are ready to improve your life, the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide stress management counseling as well as cater to specific burn-out needs for men and women. To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:
Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch we offer counseling services for people of all ages including: eating disorder treatment, depression treatment, women’s issues, treatment for anxiety, couples and marriage counseling, counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, family therapy, men’s issues, trauma counseling, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to regularly post blogs with helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!