What is your strategy to recharge yourself professional after a tough or exhausting time?

Jennifer Wakeman, CSMFO Board Member and Assistant Administrative Services Director (City of Lafayette)

I carve out time to reconnect with my colleagues over lunch and also to review my upcoming workload/schedule to plan ahead for the next challenging project.

Sara Roush, Chair of the CSMFO Recognition Committee

I enjoy gardening. So many things in life require high amounts of energy with little evidence of the return on investment (of my time) i.e. parenting, responsible fiscal management, etc. However, when I spend an hour in my garden, at the end of my time worked, I see the evidence of my labor, through a new plant or less weeds.

Matt N. Pressey, CPA, Chair of the CSMFO Technology Committee and Finance Director (City of Salinas)

My strategy to recharge myself professionally after a tough or exhausting time is to take time off work and enjoy it with the family driving somewhere, exercising together (including airsoft!) or just being at home.

How do you keep balanced during those times?

Jennifer

Laugh- a lot. It’s important to have colleagues with whom you can vent and laugh at the craziness that goes on.

Sara 

I’ll be completely honest, I am still working on the second question. I think in some ways we all are. At this stage in my life, I have 2 very high energy boys who require a lot of my time and attention. At some point in the future, I know this will change and my methods for keeping balanced will have to adjust as well. I think the best way at this point for me to stay balanced is to remember to take care of myself. That means eating well, drinking plenty of water, getting sunshine, getting exercise and getting enough sleep. Additionally, I need to prioritize this self-care and recognize that if I’m not well taken care of then I am unable to give everyone else the care they need and deserve.

Matt

What keeps me balanced during the tough or exhausting times is having a fixed wake up time and go-to-bed time.