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Strike
a balance and enjoy a relatively stress free life
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“Work,
work, work is all that I am doing these days”, I need a break, my friend
replied in an exasperated tone when I asked him a simple question on the lines
of how is life? If work becomes an
integral part of your life, then the thin line which separates the two ceases
to exist. To put it lucidly, if you spend most of your waking hours at your
work place then obviously you may have little or no time left to focus on the other
important aspects of your life like family, friends, wellness, hobbies etc.
Hence there is a need to strike a work-life balance so that you can enjoy a
relatively stress free life. Coming back to my friend, his life had begun to
revolve around his work. In his pursuit to scale the career ladder, he began to
ignore his family, not to mention his health and happiness. A timely
intervention in the form of good advice from a family friend made him realize
that the old adage all work and no play can indeed make him a dull, unhappy and
an unhealthy boy!
In
the stress filled times that we live in, there is a dire need for all of us to
achieve work- life balance. It’s not just the prerogative of an individual, but
companies
too should pay adequate attention to this aspect and help their employees. To
begin with, let’s look at some of the simple but time-tested methods which may
help you in inching closer to achieve a work-life balance:
- Realize, Communicate and Focus
A person who is determined to achieve a
work-life balance should realize the outcome of the choices he makes in his
personal or professional life. The next step is to speak with his family about his
choices and explain the road-map of his life. By doing so, you are not only
seeking support from the people who mean the world to you but also letting them
know about your commitments at workplace and the time you can devote to family.
Accomplishing work-life balance can become a struggle at times but those who
are determined to achieve it will seldom lose their focus. Do one thing at a
time. Try not to multi-task either at office or at home.
Success Mantra which I adopted for
the last 35 years and still on – ‘One Movie, One Dinner with family every month
without fail’
- Indulge in an “Eagerly awaiting’ activity
My evening walk or playing golf is an
activity that I eagerly look forward to. I try to manage and keep up my work
commitments in such a way that I can enjoy some ‘me time’ walking by the sea
side or playing golf with my friends. It’s necessary that each one of us should
indulge in an activity or pursue a hobby that we truly enjoy. This will
invariably help us unwind and relax.
- Lifestyle changes
Irregular eating habits, lack of sleep, sedentary lifestyle are major impediments
that can jeopardize your work-life balance. Good health in terms of both
physical and mental well-being can help you to be more productive at work and in
taking care of your family.
- Draw a line
Gadgets can
become a bane especially when you fail to set boundaries or draw a line between
work and family life. Set your cellphone/electronic gadgets aside while spending
time with your family. Talk to your boss or your colleagues and tell them that you are
determined to achieve a work-life balance and request them not to disturb you
after office hours unless there is an emergency. Learning to say no to
unreasonable deadlines and taking on work commitments that does not fit your
schedule or is in sync with your priorities can also help you set aside time
for self-care/ family.
- Inspiration - Conviction
When I was
Young I took a commitment to myself that success and happiness can be achieved
only by self. If we choose a life partner to have a family, our conviction and
commitment to self should be to maintain work life balance in our life style.
Building expectation and not fulfilling them hurts not only you but your better
half and others too. Happiness follows if one is capable of managing his life
in a very balanced approach without compromising work as well as personal life
and that is the Success Mantra
Work-Life balance is not an elusive phenomenon as
it is made out to be. All it takes is a little bit of effort, adequate determination
and a never-say-die attitude to accomplish it!
