Workplace – Worklife Balance

KEEP YOUR BALANCE

HARD WORK PAYS OFF, BUT SO DOES RELAXATION

BY D. SHENELL REED

You like to think you are super-human—but that only happens in the movies. Real people can work long hours, but if you don’t add rest to the mix, you will not be able to keep that schedule for long. Can you say ‘hospital?’ None of us wants sirens and a stretcher to be our wakeup call. Hopefully, these tips can help shed some light on how desperately you need to get. your. life.

Work-life balance is the term labor experts use to explain that your personal endeavors need just as much attention as your professional efforts—and vice versa. Sometimes these things get knocked off because you get a promotion that calls for longer hours; you have a baby who calls for longer hours; or you pile on volunteerism. All these things are joyful at first, but too much of any laborious thing puts you at greater risk for burnout. You must create a schedule that works.

• First, accept that it is not going to be perfect. According to “Business

News Daily,” some days you may focus more on work, other days, home.

“Balance is achieved over time, not each day.” Heather Monahan at #BossInHeels puts it this way: “…allowing yourself to remain open to redirecting and assessing your needs on any day is key in finding balance.” • If you don’t put your health first, nobody else will. Each January, this probably is the most popular resolution. However, Betsy Mendel at the “Los Angeles Times” urges ditching resolutions and making commitments—because commitments involve an actual plan and accountability. That can only be good for your health. Check out health areas where you can do better, then make changes. • Burnout is often spurred by a loathsome job. So, do what you love. “If you can find what is your passion, if you can find what you love, you never get tired,” Oprah Winfrey has told her followers for years. She’s right. Elizabeth Nelson left corporate America in Tampa to bake cookies for a living. “Running a business,” she said, “is the hardest thing I have ever had to do—and I couldn’t be happier.” She adds that time spent with family and friends is more meaningful now. • FOMO will kill you. Do not be stressed by fear of missing out. It is necessary to take a break from what is happening around you just to keep your sanity in check. “Because a chronically triggered stress response can lead to decreased creativity, memory problems and other issues, a break in the stress cycle can lead to sharper thinking and increased creativity in all areas of your life,” according to “Verywell Mind.” • Your family needs you. Yes, the job pays the bills, but an investment in your family is priceless. That is something the writer of this article had to learn. “I worked long hours when I “punched a clock,” often watching the beautiful Florida sun set from my office window. My vice president worked from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and did not miss any of her kids’ activities. When we took business trips, I set fires on my keyboard while she perused the latest fashion magazines. I slowly got the picture and took a two-week European vacay with my sister. We now relish the memories of our numerous trips.” You control how often your family gets to see you. Make the right decision. • You don’t have to answer the phone each time it rings or answer every e-mail when it pops in your inbox. Set boundaries for yourself and work. When you leave the office, leave. Career expert Chris Chancey said, “Whether you work away from home or at home, it is important to determine when you will work and when you will stop working; otherwise, you might find yourself answering work-related emails late at night, during vacations or on weekends off.” • Is it time for a vacation? “Travel + Leisure” reports five reasons you need a vacation: to increase mindfulness, improve heart health, reduce stress, boost your brain, lift your mood. “At the end of your life, you remember moments of connection,” says Bridgid Schulte, author of “Overwhelmed:

Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time.” “Psychologists call it peak human experience—and it doesn’t happen in the office.”

Setting these goals and sticking to them could determine your happiness. You get only one life. Live it to the fullest…and take many breaks in between.