I recently came to the end of a counselling session and my client looked at their phone on the way out. They held up the screen to show me how many notifications they had had since coming into the session. It was anxiety inducing – there were dozens in only 50 minutes!
Some of the issues this client experienced was overwhelm and heightened anxiety. This got me thinking about practical ways to manage and reduce anxiety. I decided to make changes to the way I worked to see if it made a difference to my wellbeing.
I made the decision to remove work emails from my phone. As a business owner, I know it is important to keep on top of the admin side of things and to respond to comms in a timely manner. But I’m in my office five days a week and regularly check my inbox throughout the day. I recognised I could lose access through my phone and reduce my screen time allowing me to be more present with family and friends outside of work. I also realised I experienced less anxiety, so this was definitely a good way of managing it.
Soon after I was out socially with friends and one had a smart watch on. It flashed throughout the evening with, predominately, LinkedIn notifications which distracted her. She obviously felt she had to look and respond there and then and kept playing catch up with our conversations. This was her normal but I could see and feel her becoming overwhelmed. I decided to stop all notifications from social media coming through on my phone. I made the choice to choose when I checked in. I now check in on my socials a couple of times a day and feel more relaxed and in charge of my screen time.
In making these small changes I do feel better in myself. Call it boundary setting or better time management. We can get caught up in ways of working that do not benefit us, psychologically. My work is important to me and the people I work with are too. But looking after myself allows me to bring the best version of me to my clients.
I recently came across the idea of a Calm Inbox. It was on an email signature from a client. I asked them about it and what they felt the benefits were. They too had removed work emails and social media notifications from their phone. They made the decision to check their emails twice a day, whilst they were at work. They said it helped them focus on their work in hand.
A Calm Inbox is essentially a system for handling your email inbox where you set predetermined (and well-publicised) response times where colleagues know when you’ll be available. It takes the pressure off you to feel like you constantly have to be checking your email to stay in the loop on important communication, and sets boundaries with coworkers and colleagues so they know when they can expect a response from you. This in turn allows you to spend your time in a more meaningful, productive way.
If you experience anxiety and overwhelm at times, perhaps you might think about making small changes to how you do things. Do you actually need to check your email or socials several times an hour? Can you ‘let go’ and be more present. Calming ways can help you have a positive effect on your physical and mental wellbeing. Give it a try for a while and see if it makes a difference.
If you have tried doing this and feel you would like someone to talk to, please contact us to arrange a free initial telephone consultation. We can talk through how counselling can help you and if you decide to book in we can usually arrange an appointment within a few days. Contact us at info@serendipityyork.co.uk