Imagine: your to-do list is never ending, you’re exhausted, and you swear you haven’t had a human interaction in days. For many of us, we didn’t have to try too hard to imagine because this is an oh-so-familiar feeling. We all work tirelessly to check those boxes, send those emails, and come up with the best business strategy. However, in the process, we forget to take care of ourselves. The irony in this is we do the best work when we are relaxed, rested, and enjoying others. It is so easy to get overwhelmed by work, but here at DFS Creative Concepts we try to keep in mind that we are people first and #Girlbosses second by living by these words of wisdom:
- Too Much Yes Leads to No
We all love to be helpful, responsible, and dependable. We all want to be the “go-to-girl” for solving problems, taking on tasks and projects of all kinds. However, after saying yes too many times, you might find yourself in an Alice in Wonderland sized hole of work. Then, when you are working to dig yourself out of your hole, you have to say no to all the fun things in life: dinner with family or friends, coffee breaks with your favorite coworkers, and even maybe the one project you’ve been wanting to be a part of! So yes can be good, but too much yes leads to no. So, say yes to what makes you happy and helps you grow, not to the busy work or the mindless task just to prove you are a responsible person. For us at DFSCC, this means we take on the projects that make us smile, challenge us to think differently, and fall in line with our values as a business. “Yes” is for what builds you up. “No” is for what drains us.
- Rest & Relaxation
Now, you may read this and think, “She’s crazy, that’s what coffee is for!” Make no mistake; I love a mug of coffee just as much as the next girl, but I can’t deny the importance of sleep! While we all know that the recommended eight hours per night is a little unattainable, we can certainly strive for it. None of us wants to be the girl at her desk sipping on her fifth cup of coffee, jittery and unable to keep her eyes open. We want to be the girl who comes into the office looking like she has it all together and is ready to face whatever the day brings. Another important part of learning to be put together instead of caffeine dependent is being able to relax. In a world where we are constantly going, going, going, we forget to slow down to enjoy some peace and quiet. At DFSCC, we are constantly filling each other in on ways to relax: recommending good reads, laughing about a funny movie, or talking about a weekend bike ride. We do love to work hard, but understand how important it is to enjoy our down time. Whatever relaxation looks like for you (reading, exercising, retail therapy), don’t forget to pencil it in!
- Look Around, Not at the Screen!
In today’s workplace, we are constantly being bombarded with phone calls and emails that are “urgent.” It is way too easy to get caught up in the technology that shapes the way we communicate professionally. Don’t forget the to interact with people around you. While emails are effective, meetings and quick conversations in person usually are more clarifying and immediate. Don’t shy away from walking over to a coworker’s desk to ask about the social media strategy or even about their weekend. We work hard to cultivate a culture of communication here at DFS Creative Concepts with regular check-ins to update each other where we are on our projects. Communication makes the world go ‘round, but remember that a chat over coffee or lunch beats an email any day.
When life gets going too quickly for you to keep up, remember that in order to be a #GirlBoss, sometimes you have to put the to-do list down and take a breather.