Happy Mentoring Young Professionals!
How many of you feel like you have a good
work/life balance? Do you feel your employer pushes you to take care of your
body? Your health? Your mind? Or do you feel drained by your work? Lacking
energy when you get home. Too tired to even cook a healthy meal for dinner.
Finding a balance between work and life
is something I used to struggle with but am fortunate to say that is something
of the past. Part of my struggle was I had trouble saying NO! Because of this I often found myself taking on the burden of
other’s job responsibilities which meant I was working a little earlier or
later to ensure the work was not only complete but completed correctly. People
will take advantage of you if you don’t say “No.” So, I had to learn to say “No”
politely and given the reason why.
Besides struggling to say “No” I worked
in an unsupportive environment. I worked for supervisors that would overlook
the fact you arrived early to work and completed your work, not just for the
day but usually for the next 2-3 days, and would expect you to sit around
twiddling your thumbs because upper management likes to see people behind their
desks. Or they would expect you to pick up other staff members slack. Helping
out is one thing but picking up slack for other people who spend most of their
work day gossiping and not trying to improve their job can get old and
frustrating real fast.
Overcoming saying “No” and working in an
unsupportive environment are just a couple examples of how your work/life
balance could begin to diminish. There are many parts of our days that can
bring us down and take away from our work/life balance. Whether you are
overworked, picking up others slack, or working in an unsupportive environment you
need to find activities after work that lift you up again. What did I do to
change my outcome and get back my work/life balance?
·
I communicated to my supervisor
that there was an imbalance and that I wanted to work on getting back to a
normal routine. Also, that I was not responsible for my co-workers & their
work. It was the supervisor’s responsibility to oversee their work.
·
I began working out regularly and
would plan my workouts a month in advance & would communicate that I was
working out right after work so people knew I had plans and had to get out of
the office or I involved co-workers in my workout plans. A little bonding is
healthy for team development, especially when you are bonding over a positive
activity. I also balanced my workouts with bikram yoga and meditation.
·
I quit my job & decided to
work for myself. This was the best decision I ever made in my life! I was my
own boss, I worked my own hours. I didn’t have to commute to the office. I was
able to work out daily and prepare fresh healthy meals at home for breakfast
and lunch.
·
I began taking public
transportation. I reside in Chicago and would drive everywhere because that is
all I knew. I didn’t grow up taking the EL (train) or buses. I decided to give
the train a shot and to my surprise loved the experience. Not only was my
commute shortened by half the time because I wasn’t sitting in bumper-to-bumper
traffic before and after work but I was able to relax, read, respond to emails
and chat with friends/family instead of having to focus on the road.
·
I made more time for my family.
When our work/life balance diminishes it often results in us spending time with
the ones we love. It is very important to get this time back as they are your
ultimate support system.
·
I made more time for volunteer work.
After I was able to gain back my work/life balance I began valuing my time differently.
I found myself spending less time going out socializing and watching T.V. and
instead using that time to help make an impact in communities.
In my scenario, I actually found the
more I incorporated positive activities into my life, the easier it began to
balance work and life. Incorporating positive activities into your daily
routine help maintain a positive attitude/outlook which we can use to handle
tough situations throughout the day and not allow our work/life balance to
diminish. I have actually found, the more positive changes I make in my life
the less likely I am to have a disturbance to my work life balance. It can be
life changing!
Please feel free to
engage in the following questions:
·
What
experiences have you dealt with regarding work/life balance?
·
Have
your supervisors/place of employment been supportive in providing work/life
balance? If so, how? If not, how did you overcome the situation?
·
How
do you maintain a work/life blance? Do you work in a supportive or unsupportive environment?
Kind Regards,
William T. Kernan
Chair, IMA Young Professional Advisory Committee
“Work is a rubber
ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls-- family,
health, friends, integrity-- are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it
will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.” – Gary Keller