Don’t let personal drama ruin your business focus

It is inevitable that during the course of your career, you will have to endure more than one personal drama.

These are events that have a huge impact on your personal life, but also have the ability to either make or break your business focus (and your career).

Whether it be a divorce, death, sickness or another situation that has shaken up life as you know it, you need to see your career/business as a firm foundation for your life — but not as your crutch.

Here are seven tips to deal with personal drama so as you don’t ruin your career at the same time.

1. Don’t tell people at work your troubles

Regardless of the friendships you have built over time, work is work. You don’t want to be labelled as ‘somebody going through a breakup’ or ‘somebody dealing with divorce’… which is inevitably what will start happening the second you tell someone what you are going through. You need to keep ‘brand you’ going and strong at all times.

2. Throw yourself INTO your work

Take the opportunity to distract yourself from the heartache or chaos in your personal life by taking on extra projects and giving yourself a 6-12 month roadmap to achieve greatness at work.

3. Get up, dress up and show up

Now is not the time to turn up to work in jeans with no make up and your hair a mess. Put in the effort regardless of how you feel. I guarantee you’ll feel better after you make the effort. And you deserve it.

4. It is OK to cry, but do it in private

Don’t fall to pieces at your desk or at lunch — and certainly NOT at after-work drinks. Crying will be seen as a sign of weakness in the workplace (yes, it’s a necessary and healthy activity when going through a crisis, but not in the professional space). Cry in the bathroom, fix yourself up and get back to it. And if you have any doubts about whether you can hold yourself together after a couple of cocktails, give those after-work drinks a miss until you’re over the crisis, or attend … but stick to mocktails!

5. Be strategic with your time off

Don’t get too comfortable with having days off which can turn into weeks, then months and eventually you looking for a job (after being sacked). Allot yourself the appropriate time, and make the most of it. If you need extra, schedule your weekends and evenings to cope with it.

6. Keep your routine

If you get up at 6am each day then stick with it. Don’t sleep in or stay out drinking all night. As tempting as it seems to let loose, don’t. You need your routine more than ever before.

7. Treat yourself

When you feel at your lowest, make a list of the top five things you like to do and make sure you do at least ONE of them each day. This could be exercising, taking a bath, shopping, cooking…whatever it is. This is a sure-fire way to ensure you are keeping yourself happy every single day in the smallest of ways.

Amanda Rose connects CEOs, directors, businesses, government and communities on mutually beneficial projects. She is the executive producer and host of The Business Woman radio program.