Let's Make It A Life-Work Balance

By: Dr. Donnie Hutchinson First Responder, Life-Work Balance & Self-Care Instructor

IS IT TIME TO FLIP THE SCRIPT ON THE TERM WORK-LIFE BALANCE?

The term “work” is always placed in front of the term “life”. We put it first because traditionally the first word gets the emphasis. But maybe it’s time for some simple but well-established methods to turn that around and start putting life before work. Life-work balance means aligning your daily behavior with your priorities, particularly your health and close family relationships. All too often, we don’t appreciate the value of these until we no longer have them, so it’s important to develop strategies to align actions and priorities.

Who are the most important people in your life, and how have you prioritized them?

What are the essential elements in your world, and how have you been prioritizing those? Most firefighters love their work and have no problem prioritizing it. They also love their family and they want to be healthy. However, the data shows we have some work to do in terms of prioritizing our physical, psychological, social and spiritual health practices and outcomes. Our partners and children could benefit from us providing more dedicated time and attention to our relationships. And so could we.

PLANNING YOUR CALENDAR

Most of us use a calendar, paper or electronic, to note important items and meetings. Doctor’s appointments, training meetings, shift schedules and vacations – they all go on our calendars. What would happen if we put our desired priorities on our calendars? Research shows that putting essential items from our most important life roles can significantly positively affect our engagement. The key to calendar planning is to be intentional about what you want to accomplish.

BEING INTENTIONAL

It’s key to follow the “principle of putting first things first”, a term coined by the late Stephen Covey. These could include exercising, calling a friend, going on dates with your partner, spending time with your children, checking on your parents, and studying for promotion.

Make a date with yourself each week to make your weekly plan. Review your list of who and what is most important to you and align your daily behaviors with these priorities. Perhaps health is a top priority, and you want to begin exercising again. Make a note on your calendar about when and where you’ll work out. If you want the focus to be on your family relationships, maybe you could plan a date with your partner or time with your children.

BLOCK DAYS OFF

No one is better at blocking days off than firefighters, because shifts are a part of your weekly routine. Imagine if exercising, praying/meditating, or doing something with your partner and children mirrored your best practice of blocking off time for work. How would your life change if you routinely followed those action items? Everyone in your life would experience positive outcomes from your intentional planning.

PLAN AHEAD WITH FRIENDS

Socializing is a self-care must because of the positive connections we experience. Think about the last time you checked in on an old friend. What are you waiting for? Consider putting something social on your calendar when you list your most important things to do in the coming week.

CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN AND MANAGE WHAT YOU CAN’T

We can’t expect to operate in a perfect world. What we put on our calendar may get bumped because something supersedes it. For example, if you have a date planned on your day off and your department mandates that you need to take the overtime shift, that change is beyond your control. Share this information with your partner and reschedule. Don’t beat yourself up when things are beyond your control. But there are times when we can control our time. For example, if you have a date planned with your spouse but also want to watch your child take part in a sport or school function, you have the opportunity to control which priority takes precedence. If you've been managing your finances well, perhaps sticking with your scheduled priorities is the best choice; however, if you are struggling with your bills, volunteering for an overtime shift might be better. Keep your priorities in mind at all times to ensure that you make the best decisions possible in the areas you can control.

Culture teaches us that our lives revolve around our work and that what we do is critically important, meaningful, and financially rewarding. Setting priorities in life brings meaning to our lives and we align ourselves for career success when we prioritize health, wellness, and family relationships. It is when we flip the script to life-work balance and begin intentionally planning our actions that we begin to see our lives become more fulfilling and meaningful.

Is your daily behavior in alignment with your priorities in life? Take this test and find out!

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