Keeping a balanced career

Well, it’s now February and I trust most of us have been religiously following a list of New Year’s resolutions. While it’s nice to have a set of personal goals for this year, we often forget the importance of balancing work and life in the overworked real-world workforce of today.

Across many generations, industries, occupations and countries, work-life balance is surfacing as a common concern. Have you ever gone on a date and caught your date checking his or her blackberry at the dinner table? Have you ever had to take your children by yourself to their Christmas concert at school because your spouse had to stay home to catch up on e-mails?

We wear different hats in our lives. We are workers, spouses, parents, caregivers and volunteers in the community. Despite of the many roles we play, we must also make it a point to take care of our own physical and mental well-being.

The Canadian Mental Health Association reports that 58% of Canadians experience “overload” with their many roles. On top of this, the overload can be intensified by new technologies that are supposed to help make work easier (i.e. e-mail and smartphones). While these tools make us more efficient, there is a disadvantage as there could be an expectation to be available 24/7, making it very difficult to attain balance between work and personal life.

What is work-life balance? There is really no set definition for balance, as it differs for every person. In general, balance means achieving equilibrium among all priorities in life.

Watch for signs of burnout

Conference Board of Canada research indicates that businesses pay up to an estimated $12 billion per year in health claims, lost productivity and absenteeism, all of which are caused by burnout. A great starting place to find balance is to watch for signs of burnout at work, such as exhaustion, dissatisfaction and the inability to concentrate. To facilitate wellness and balance, many workers find it helpful to take short fitness breaks throughout the day. Some take a lunchtime walk or go to the gym for a few minutes in the afternoon to help re-charge the body and mind.

Beware of sleep deprivation

Lack of sleep may be a result of role overload. For example, a single parent’s role with a demanding job and two young children is more challenging and difficult than for two parents. Staying up late to get everything ready for the next day and waking up early to get to work and drive the kids to school on time could result in sleep deprivation. It is a known fact that lack of sleep has serious health and safety consequences. In this case, experts recommend making time for a hobby that requires a slower pace such as yoga, gardening or reading, which can help decrease feelings of stress caused by role overload.

Smart use of technology

Catherine Middleton, an Associate Professor at Ryerson University’s School of Management, says that Blackberry users value their handheld device while their family and friends find it distracting and over-used. Traditionally, work-life balance means separation between personal and work life. According to Middleton, with the Blackberry (or any other handheld device), it allows you to bring your work home with you. Although these handheld users believe that they are able to balance the demands of their job and manage home life at the same time by staying connected 24/7, their families do not share the same belief.

A good start in minimizing technology use is setting a resolution to limit the time spent checking e-mail to 15 minutes per day and from there, you can gradually decrease the time spent to zero.

Value family quality time

A very important strategy in keeping the work-life balance is scheduling time together with your family and keeping it. In our everyday busy lives, it is very easy to overlook the people who mean the most to us – our families. Always remind yourself that they are the ones who can offer the greatest support and meaning in life. Balance can be achieved by simply spending time with them, whether it is during dinnertime, dates or weekend get-aways and vacations. Scheduling quality time with them can also help limit time spent on work-related activities at home.

Regardless of how the work-life balance is perceived and defined, most people know when they are out of balance. This New Year is a great year to start fresh and make changes to attain balance between work and life, and a great opportunity for a clean start; for taking on new challenges and achieving something worthwhile for yourself.

Sources:

• BlackBerrys hurt work-life balance: Professor (Canadian HR Reporter- November 28, 2007)
• Study: Workaholics and time perception. www.statcan.gc.ca
• Stress: the number one reason for leaving a company (Globe and Mail, December 14, 2007)
• Work/life balance – It’s a matter of time www.cmha.ca

Note: This article is for information purposes only.

Michele Majul-Ibarra is a Compliance Officer with Canada Post Corporation, specializing in Human Rights and Conflict Management. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a Certificate in Human Resource Management. She also has a professional designation, C.I.M. (Certified in Management) awarded by the Canadian Institute of Management through the University of Manitoba.

Find Career Connexion on Facebook

Have a comment on this article? Send us your feedback