The need to manage when you’re “just about managing” – make sure to “take a break”

If you know me well and personally, I’ve probably talked to you about tinnitus management over the last three years. I might well have ducked out of meeting up or taking a phone call. Maybe I advised that I could only take a call over speaker phone. I might even have attended a hybrid meeting that I could have attended in person – to reduce the volume level.

I have probably also changed or shortened a meeting length. Or refused to go from one meeting to the next on the fly. I might also have changed a one-hour meeting slot to a 25 or 50 minute slot on you. I might even have taken time out during the day and logged out for a couple of hours. Guilt-free naps have been essential when tinnitus got too much.

The chances are that you might have noticed I have been less forthcoming in taking on something new recently. I might also have relinquished commitments I previously had. What I might not have mentioned to everyone is about having actively used a coach earlier in the year. I used the sessions to try to address the remit creep affecting my actual work. It is still a work in progress – I ought to get back to my coach for follow-up sessions soon.

So why am I blogging about this? Quite simply because it might maybe help someone else. Social media focuses on “living my best life”, rather the real view when things aren’t quite working out. It seems strange that I seem to notice some friends and connections more by their absence than their repeated posting.

If it isn’t going to plan, come up with a plan

Psychological safety was addressed in the subproject of my employer’s transformation programme I was in the sounding board for. Vacation absence meant limited presence in sessions over the summer. I hope that I still made a contribution. It is good to see that the subject is among many being addressed. Over the last couple of years friends and colleagues have opened up more about the assistance that they have sought. Sadly, I also know of people who did not seek help in time.

I am open that I have sessions with a coach, where one exercise was trying to redesign my typical day. My wife and I have a regular session with a parental therapist about our son’s neurodivergence. If anyone is curious, I’m happy to engage and chat about how coaching sessions help. We are also in a self-help group supports parents of neurodivergent children. I follow quite a lot of blogs by psychologists and coaches. I read them or books that they recommend rather than doom-scrolling through social media while commuting.

Notebooks, which I have long used for mental decluttering, have also been useful for coming up with the plan. I never leave the house without a notebook and pens.

Make time to take time out of the day

October is a busy time with work – the end of the year is approaching, and the days rapidly become shorter. Leaving the office in darkness is a more frequent occurrence. I take vitamin D capsules, and use a phototherapy lamp. I consciously make sure that I get out more during the day. I occasionally even use a calendar entry marked “Take a break”. Breaks have been essential this week – just before the end of summer time. On Monday I went out for a walk and collected lunch with a colleague rather than heading down to the canteen.

On Tuesday I met up for a coffee with a fellow translator visiting from Berlin. We sat outside in a nearby cafe and chatted for a couple of hours. Yesterday, I avoided the direct route to and from my son’s school. We took a longer walk (and a trip to the comic shop!) Today (Thursday) I logged out and grabbed a coffee and the Kindle and had a walk. I then read on a park bench in the sunlight. It is a real bonus having a park about 200 metres walk away (60 metres from our terrace in a straight line). Whenever the weather is good, I’ll be making a regular thing of it.

Take a break!

I try to use natural caesurae in the day to take a break. Coffee and meal breaks are essential in this regard. Resist the temptation of having “al desko” lunches. I tend to punctuate tasks with a walk around the corridor on my floor – a lap with a comfort stop is definitely a good thing. Some regular meetings also lend form to the day, or create certain-sized chunks. I try to remember to raise my desk at lunchtime in the office – and have a standing stint after lunch if possible.

Make positive changes

Last autumn I also stopped drinking – a three day hangover after two beers made me decide to stop drinking alcohol. My wife and I still enjoy an alcohol-free G&T. That is a care routine too. I did drink three glasses of wine over the course of the summer. Sometimes a glass of wine with a meal or to toast a special occasion is needed. Geocaching remains a constant, which takes me out walking usually once a week. I’m currently thinking up a few ideas for new caches. Recently I hid a new one which has been well received by the Vienna geocaching community.

I am also reading more – and with greater substance. I didn’t get through all of my summer reading list, but several other books have also been read in the meantime. A chat with an acquaintance at the British Embassy also reminded me of some books I not started.

Getting back to core business

I am taking a break from the data science courses I had been pursuing for two years. My motivation was flagging, time was also at a premium. I’m focusing on translation-based CPDWorking as a translator isn't only about translating. Training and seminars making up continuing professional development are also important parts of the job. More. I am currently submitting abstracts for translation conferences and getting back to blogging. There are a couple of publications in the pipeline too. Journaling in my change planner has become a daily habit. Best of all it helps me to free up thinking space.

At the same time, I’ve also tried to feel less guilty about not being “perfectly efficient”. I have stopped commoditising my translation work into numbers of words delivered. The only time I really look at the word count is to try to establish how long I might need for a specific translation – and to handle multi-day projects. Slowing down a tiny bit, actually makes me feel more productive. And conciseness seems to be appreciated by colleagues.

If anything in this post has helped you, or made you think “I need to do that!“ please let me know. It’s also very good to talk.