How to leave the hassles at home 

We read a lot about the importance of leaving work-related problems at work, so they don’t infringe on personal and family time. But there’s also something to be said about leaving personal problems at home, to make the most of our time at work. A major crisis may, understandably, be difficult to put out of our minds, but most of the things that disturb us tend to be minor annoyances. Here are some tips to help enhance your performance (and enjoyment) in the work environment by leaving these hassles at home.  

n    Create a “to do” list for your personal life, much as you would for your job. Putting down tasks and obligations on paper helps get them off your mind. Most time-management consultants recommend using the same personal planner or calendar for both your professional and personal scheduling to avoid confusion and double booking.  

n    Ask family and friends to call you at work only when absolutely necessary. Of course, you need to be reached in a crisis, and there will be plenty of occasions when working parents may need to be in contact with their children. But many matters can wait until you’re able to devote your full attention to them at home.  

n    See the working day as an opportunity to “lose yourself” in your work. When we’re in the flow of what we’re doing, we tend to tune our minor worries that would otherwise nag us.  

n    Practice present-moment awareness. When your mind tends to drift towards regret from the past or anxiety about the future, focus back to “the now”. This is invariably all we have control over anyway, so we should make the most of it! 

n    If possible and applicable, use your journey to work as a transition time. This is an ideal time to distance you from at-home hassles and energize yourself for the day ahead. This is also applicable on the way home, when it’s time to leave work behind.  

If a more serious problem has begun to affect your work, seek professional help. If your company offers employee assistance program, take advantage of it. If not, be sure to look for help and support elsewhere.

Taking care of blue jeans 

They used to come in basic blue and were considered casual wear only. Now they’re available in many colors, styles and types – and are identified with the latest in fashion. With so many jeans now available, is it any wonder that Jean manufacturers are bombarded with “how do I take care of my jeans” questions? With the introduction of so many variations of blue jeans, taking care of them can get complicated. The following steps are therefore recommended:

 

• Wash dark clothing separately
• Use hot water
• Limit a wash load to 3 pairs of jeans
• Use the recommended amount of powder
• To fade your jeans, repeated washing in hot water with detergent is the only recommended method
• Don’t soak your new jeans. Both soaking and cold water can cause the dye to transfer to the surface of your washing machine
• To avoid streaking, creasing and wrinkling, use a fabric softener and remove from dryer promptly
• Iron your jeans flat – a centre crease will leave a white crease down the front on the legs
• Dry cleaning jeans are not necessary!