These past few weeks have been hard at work, mentally and financially. I know a lot of people are feeling the slowdown. Some days I’m tired from dealing with what’s in front of me, and then I get home and start thinking about what might happen next.
I’ll be with my kids, but part of my mind is still on the business. I’m thinking about what I need to do tomorrow or how something might turn out. And then I realize I haven’t been fully enjoying the time I have with them. I feel bad about that. I want to hear what they’re telling me without having to pull my attention back from work.
I’ve been trying to make sure I don’t lose my temper with them just because I’ve had a hard day. I’m glad I’m getting better at catching myself. But even on evenings when I stay calm, I can still feel distracted.
What frustrates me most is how much is out of my control. I can make a call, follow up, or make a decision with what I know. Then sometimes all I can do is wait. That’s the part I struggle with. I can go over the same problem in my head all evening and still have to wait for an answer in the morning.
I keep telling myself to take care of what I can control and see what happens with the rest. I know that makes sense. It’s harder to do when I’m worried about what the next few months might look like.
I haven’t figured out how to leave work at work. For now, I’m trying to notice when my mind goes back there and ask myself if there’s anything I can actually do about it tonight. If there isn’t, I’d rather hear how my kids’ day went.