Pressure. Tension. Stress.
We feel these as they squeeze us. But do we only feel these with our brain, or are we also feeling them with our body?
As we struggle with the ups and downs of today’s economy, we put more and more pressure on ourselves. It’s harder to make money and we worry about the future. So, we work harder and take less care of ourselves.
Here are some things to consider in deciding if the balance between your work and family lives is out of whack:
- Are you getting up earlier than usual so that you can get more work done?
- Are you staying later than usual at work because you can’t seem to get “everything” done?
- Are you frequently checking email and taking “non-emergency” business calls while at family activities or events?
- Has your daily routine suffered measurable changes because of work obligations?
The list could go on, but you get the general idea.
I sometimes think that people go to church every week because the moment they leave they start drifting off course – and need to attend the following week to bring them back to where they need to be.
Well, maybe it’s the same with the balance between work life and personal life. If we don’t take the time to evaluate where we are, we won’t take the corrective action that will bring things back into balance. And through neglect – or not wanting to face the reality that we are afraid exists – we will continue to get further and further out of balance.
Of course we are all different and need to set a daily schedule that works for us. Perhaps you tend to have more success working out in the morning before work, after work, or maybe over the lunch hour. Personally, if I don’t exercise first thing in the morning, it won’t happen at all. But, that means that I have to get up at 5:15 AM which in turn means I have to pretty much be asleep by 10:00 PM. So, a late night means a late morning . . . which means no workout. More pressure, tension and stress.
We certainly need to be doing the best job we can given the current economy. But as we struggle and spend more time at work, we’re likely to miss out on important family events. We know this can hurt our relationship with those we love the most. We can rationalize missing events by saying that we are making the sacrifice for our family, but who are we really hurting and what’s most important to them?
The struggle to balance our careers and personal lives is an ongoing challenge. I’m sure at times it feels like a tug-o-war we just can’t win. Sure, there will be times when we need to devote more time and attention to work, and there will be times when we need to put family first. Finding a recipe for yourself that allows you to balance work with your personal life is in your best interest, as well as those around you!
What do you say?
