What starts at work can creep in to your home life without you even being aware that it has. It’s similar to what happens if mold suddenly shows up in your home. It’s invisible until you see a small spot, which can then quickly spread to other areas. What you may think is just an issue between you and your boss travels home with you at night without you even being aware it happened. You never made a conscious decision to carry it home, but you couldn’t stop it even if you wanted to. Once the disengagement disease attaches itself to your body, no matter how small it may start out being, it can spread quickly like mold.
I urge you to isolate the problem quickly so you can start working on the treatment and prevent the spread of the disease. It doesn’t require a HAZMAT suit and a sealing off of all affected areas. What it does need is a willingness to act and not to stay stuck in the doom and gloom of your feelings.
Disengagement can cause powerful feelings of helplessness and despair that make you want to curl up in a ball and just shut out the rest of the world. It takes energy to deal with your inertia. There are things you can do to break out of this paralyzing state. So with that in mind, let’s review the tools you’ve easily got at your disposal to reengage with life.
1. Exercise: Physical movement in its various forms can be a great healer. Take a long walk and clear your head. Sign up for boxing lessons and let your aggression out on the punching bag, not your loved ones. Join friends for a friendly game of softball or basketball. Relax with a yoga class designed to reduce stress.
2. Volunteer/Give Back: Helping others in need offers you so much more in return. There is nothing better than seeing how your actions can positively impact others. It takes you out of your own head as you focus on someone or something else. Look around you; so many great organizations can use your help.
3. Counseling: Never be afraid to ask for help from others. Sometimes talking to a professional who can offer you an objective viewpoint is a great way to deal with the pain of disengagement.
4. Spirituality: Whatever your faith, seeking out a spiritual advisor to talk to can be a positive step. For many, their church, synagogue or mosque can be a welcome sanctuary from the stress going on in their lives. In this kind of setting you won’t be judged but rather given a safe and confidential place to share your feelings.
5. Family and Friends: You want to bring people closer, not push them away when experiencing disengagement. It is actually one of the times when you need your support system the most. Let them in and open up about your feelings. If they know what you are experiencing, they can provide another safe haven for you. It’s when you remain silent and alienate loved ones through your actions that you hurt your family the most.
6. Hobbies: Lose yourself in a hobby that you love. The happiness and fulfillment that you feel when you do something you love can wipe away the suffocating feelings that can be brought on by disengagement. You might even find that your hobby has the potential to create a moneymaking business down the road, providing you with an escape route from an unpleasant work environment.
7. Travel: Taking even a short trip can do wonders for your psyche. You don’t need to go around the world to leave your pain behind. It doesn’t need to be costly either; you can take a ‘staycation’ right at home. If you’ve got vacation time coming to you, then use it. It is there as a benefit to recharge your batteries. So what’s the point of leaving it on the table? You can even consider taking a ‘mental health day’ once in awhile where you do nothing at all or simply spend the day with your family.
8. Take A Class: Continual learning can be nourishing to your soul. Sign up at your local college for a class on a subject that interests you. Take a cooking class or make pottery. Use the endless opportunities available online that can sweep you away to another world and open up your mind to new and exciting information. It’s all about stretching your mind and getting out of your daily routine.
There are so many tangible benefits to being personally and professionally engaged. Work can be a source of relief and creativity. If you are passionate and happy about your life it will bring you good health and happiness and ultimately more success and wealth.