Establish Balance with Work and Life
Americans are driven to work constantly such that many of us have little work life balance. This drive is reinforced when we are rewarded in the workplace with respect for working hard .Todays technology such as the internet and Blackberrys allow us to work at any time and in any location.These technological conveniences make it harder to establish a work life balance. There are many households where spouses split the chores fifty-fifty, nevertheless the fifty percent that is left often amounts to a second work shift.
Unfortunately the nine to five work day is a pastime as most of us work extended hours even after we leave the office.Usually high powered positions have higher expectations of how much time you should be willing to sacrifice for your job.
Even those who are fortunate enough to not have to bring work home may still have many responsibilities at home. These requirements may be tasks such as laundry, paying bills, cooking, helping children with homework, etc. These are tasks that make up the usual responsibilities of life, but nevertheless can drain us just like our daytime occupation.
Many are familiar with the saying “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. “ In addition to becoming dull, lack of work life balance can make one irritable, tired, hopeless and much more. We require down time to maintain a sense of mental well-being. It’s easy to ignore this need and over-extend yourself. The result is an over- stimulated mind and mental meltdowns.
The solution to this has to be more than simply doing less office work at home. If one comes home and transitions to domestic work, you are still not getting the mental down time necessary to feel fulfilled in your personal life.
Therefore we have to carve out time engaged in leisure, pleasurable activity amounting to as little as 30 minutes in the evening.
Many people are unable to control how much they are able to reduce their workload.But how much time you spend fulfilling your personal obligations is within your control. Some life modifications can include:
- Get someone to clean your home (this will incur a cost, but your time has monetary value)
- Prepare all the meals for the week
- Decline more voluteer opportunities
- Select your work attire for the week
- Eliminate clutter in your home (this decreases the time spent looking for things)
You must evaluate your situation to determine the best way to create mental downtime. Sometimes it will require a sacrifice to achieve the end result of establishing a work life balance. In this case, you will have to start with your extended workday at home in order to have quality leisure time that recharges you and enables you to fully enjoy your life outside of work.
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