I don’t know about you, but 2016 has been an incredibly stressful year for me, and I am sure the same can be said for many of you. Between a drawn out Presidential campaign, crises all over the world, and a country that continues to divide itself even further, I am ready for 2017 to begin in earnest. While I am sure that these conflicts will not be resolved by the end of 2016, I am grateful for my family and friends who continually provide much needed support and a respite from the chaos. Work-life balance is essential as we need to ensure that we do self-care and recharge our batteries. Here are some thoughts about why work-life balance is important to me.
- Taking the much needed deep breath. Whenever I become absorbed in a work related situation or news related topic, I have to step away. I know this is difficult, but I find that I become more stressed out when I continue to work or read articles online rather than going out for a run or having some “me” time.
- Keeping things in perspective. My children often provide the much needed respite for comic relief and also ensuring that I stay grounded. The moment we lose sight of what’s truly important in our lives, the more weight we give to insignificant matters.
- Better quality comes from space. If I work on a proposal or report in the evening, I always have to review it in the morning. I find that a fresh eye often leads to better quality, and I also have new ideas that can be incorporated. This leads to a better output and greater chance at success.
- Balance is key to a healthy mind and outlook. We each have to find a way to compartmentalize different components of our lives. A healthy balance may not be achieved in one day, but we have to look at it over the course of a period of time. I know that summers tend to be less hectic, so I will spend more time with family. However, as 2017 begins, I have more tasks on my plate. Having an awareness of the fluctuation in workload will make preparations for these variations much easier to deal with when they occur.
- Most things are not that urgent or important. We do not need to “red flag” everything that comes across our desks. Try to prioritize your task load so that you don’t respond to emails unnecessarily and hand off work as needed. Also, set up times when you do respond as not every task needs to be addressed immediately.
As many of you take time off during the holidays, establish a game plan for continuing to recharge and refresh throughout the year. Namaste!
