If you are finding yourself distracted or struggling in your professional life while navigating the complexities of IVF and fertility treatments, you are not alone. In fact, a recent survey conducted by Carrot and Resolve showed that over 59% of individuals struggling to conceive admitted that it impacts their work performance. Additionally, 74% of respondents shared that they spent time researching fertility treatments and family building while at the office. This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has experienced this sort of difficulty. Struggling to get pregnant can be overwhelming and all consuming. Given the physical and emotional demands for someone trying to get pregnant, the stress is bound to leak into their professional life.
If you sit at a computer during office hours it can be tempting to dive down a google rabbit hole, search test results examples, or chat with online support forums during your work hours, but in order to maintain your productivity, it’s best to reserve the personal research to before and after work. Here are some strategies you can use to help shift your focus if you are struggling to concentrate on work while trying to conceive.
Organize Your Day
Having a list of tasks, you need to complete during the day can help you stay on track, especially if you are a visual person. Prioritize the most urgent projects and then separate your day into morning and afternoon. A focused list is easier to stick to and the satisfying act of crossing off completed tasks can be motivating to keep up the momentum. Be sure to put any fertility related materials out of sight and close out of any online research or forums to avoid distraction.
Related Read: How To Fund Your Fertility Treatments
Spend Time Before Office Hours Working Out Your Feelings
It’s important to express the complex emotions you are experiencing in order to process them properly. Addressing them before your workday might help you concentrate on your work responsibilities. Try journaling for a few moments each morning. Writing your thoughts, feelings and questions out can help ‘put them away’ and allow you to focus on your office tasks. When they are on paper, you can potentially go back to these thoughts at a more appropriate time to work through them.
Consider practicing mindfulness techniques before sitting down to your desk such as breathing exercises, some positive affirmations, or a quick meditation to put you in a better frame of mind for concentrating on your work.
Related Read: Communicating With Your Partner While TTC
Communicate With Your Co-Workers
Finding a trusted colleague or someone who is familiar with what you are experiencing can help you feel supported. You may also want to consider sharing your situation with a manager or member of human resources if you are concerned about missing work for appointments, having to take sensitive phone calls, or needing to administer medications while in the office. Fertility treatments can have unpredictable calendars so letting your manager or a trusted team member know ahead of time will be helpful to plan for your schedule. You might be surprised with their willingness to support your family goals.
Take A Mid-Day Break
If possible, take some time in the middle of the day to clear your mind. Take a walk and listen to relaxing music or a podcast, practice some mindfulness exercises, or take a drive to get a cup of coffee. If you have spent the early part of the day distracted by your TTC thoughts maybe use this time to connect with your fertility coach, support group or jot down the thoughts that are troubling you.
