How to handle the overwhelm
As all levels of court reporters juggle through work-life balance, be it national court reporters or local court reporters, they all face one overwhelming situation in common, i.e., deadlines. Attorneys might ask you to get the job done overnight unexpectedly, which might get extremely overwhelming for you as a court reporter. After an exhausting day at work, requiring to deliver all the paperwork the very next day may leave you completely stressed and panicked.
Such stressful situations are common for court reporters. However, the good news is that you can learn and develop coping strategies to help you overcome the overwhelm and stress. These coping skills will allow you to think less of the problem and move quickly to a solution.
Read on to find what steps you can take to conquer the challenge and come out better.
Plan your day considering the amount of time you have for the tasks you need to finish, prioritize what is important. Sit down and lay out the tasks, estimate how long it will take to finish each step of the process, including editing, proofreading, and delivering. Next up, make a schedule to set forth exactly how much time you will use for each stage. By assigning a time limit, you will be able to measure if you are on your way to deliver on time or lagging and make adjustments as necessary.
2. Take a break and breathe
Taking small breaks throughout the day can help you come back reenergized. Sometimes constantly working for longer hours exhausts you to the point where the mind stops working, so it is better to take the mind off the work and relax for a while. Do not let yourself get overwhelmed by the load; instead, take a deep breath, and relax before you start working. It is difficult for a stressful and chaotic mind to focus; make sure you listen to yourself and do the needful when loaded with extra work.
3. Delegate when you can
Before you start working on your transcripts, see if there are any parts you can delegate. Delegating your workload to your staff could be a savior when you are loaded with a lot of work. It may lead to burnout if you do everything by yourself, which will eventually result in errors affecting your performance. It is not a sign of weakness or laziness when you assign your work to staff members; it is rather wise to have a scopist to rely on in situations like these. Do not hesitate to use help when you have a deadline to meet.
Similarly, you should not feel bad about enlisting your family's help to take care of any home issues so you can finish your work on time. Now is the time when you should ask them for some help and assistance to reduce your stress.
When there is a set deadline to meet, and you discover you might not be able to deliver on time, talk to the attorneys. Ask the attorneys if there is any possibility of extending the deadline. Court reporting companies are expected to deliver a transcript to attorneys on the deadline they request for them to do their work to the best of their ability. However, upon asking, you might find out that they can let you use the extra time and extend the time in which they requested to have the transcript in their hands.
5. Leave your work at the office.
The ability to leave your work at your office helps you relieve the stress associated with your work-life. Learning to leave work behind the office doors lets you focus on your personal life and gives you time to do things you enjoy without worrying about work-related deadlines.
In Summary
The feeling of overwhelm is often temporary. Giving yourself some time and space to let yourself breathe allows you to steady those feelings of panic and self-defeating thoughts. As you plan, prioritize and take one task at a time, those feelings will begin to subside.