Katy is a client I have been working with for the past month. Katy describes her workweek as “constant anxiety” until Friday comes along. I asked the client “it sounds like Friday is a highlight of your week, which part of your week do you find is the hardest to get through?” Katy’s answer, “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.” I tried my hardest to suppress a laugh but Katy wad dead serious. Then she said something poignant “I have realized to get to Friday, I have to get through Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursday. There are no short cuts. I usually look for short cuts, but I can’t do that with work.”
Katy has a high-level position for a non-profit that puts a stop to human trafficking. She had a promotion a few months ago giving her a higher level of responsibility. Katy said the hardest aspect about the new responsibilities of her job is managing people and deciding where and what she gives her time to.
Monday through Thursday is what Katy dreaded as this is when she deals with people which cannot always be predicted. Katy said that she has gotten better at managing people and felt the need to delegate people and tasks to other personnel. Fridays were better for her as she typically has more time to herself as she works on more administrative tasks.
The work with Katy has been to change her perspective of her work week and instead of seeing the week as a while, to break the week down into smaller and more manageable sections. This way, when Monday morning comes around it will not look so intimidating. Instead of thinking through the dread of dealing with a five-day work week, you think about the day and think about the next day tomorrow.
Think about it. The reason a runner feels so good after completing the run is because the runner is reaping reward of getting through a tough workout. This is why my parents were so adamant about playing after I did my homework or eating dessert after a meal. This is why vacations are so rewarding to get to because it is earned. Katy enjoyed Friday’s so much because getting to Friday signified getting through another workweek where the weekend brings rest and fun.
I would say this new perspective has solved all of Katy’s issues and anxiety with her job, but that would not be true. Katy still has parts of her day that she dreads but she is not letting that stop her from thinking through the next day. What Katy said has helped her the most is realizing she just has to be concerned about the day compared to being concerned about the whole week.
Sometimes taking short cuts can save time and effort, but not always. When there is no short cut and you realize you are going to have to put in the work, break down big projects to make them more manageable and always have some sort of reward at the end.
If you are looking for a therapist near you and a Google search is a great way of finding one. I happen to be a therapist in Charlotte, NC but am licensed to counsel anyone in the state of North Carolina. In Google, try looking for “psychotherapist,” “find therapist,” “therapy near me,” or even “counseling charlotte, nc.” If you feel like you have hit a wall you are not able to get past, call me at (704) 458-6298 or email me at jeffhelms@clearerthoughtspllc.com.
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