Work/Life Balance

Human culture needs social connections that include people within the community, church family, immediate family, friends, coworkers, those we communicate with at work as in customers/clients, daily interactions to feel accepted in these environments. I work 8 hours a day equaling to 40 hours a week.  And there are weeks that overtime is offered and/or required. To survive socially as in having adequate clothing, food, shelter, transportation I need to work.  There will be moments of stress that occur with work, and it is important to identify what the stressors are and have methods for yourself to work through times of stress. Work-Stress Management of the Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, provides the “Five Steps Towards Managing Your Work Stress”. The steps are:

1. Identify how you respond to your specific work stressors:

o   I have completed a lot of work, and my stressor is that I think I deserve to have a higher pay rate.  My response is to continue to put in the highest level of effort working professionally that I can.  However, this had put me to the point where I wanted to cry, and I mentally shut down.  I feel afraid to talk or ask about money.  I create a peaceful atmosphere for myself and then it seems like I get treated unfairly.

2. Set goals to respond more effectively to your thinking.

o   Go outside early in the morning to enjoy fresh air.

o   Write down the positive work that I have done and define the job title along with what I am being paid and if the work is too much then I need to clearly tell someone.

3. Change your thinking.

o   Understand that negative situations may not have anything to do with me personally.  Understand that if it is something personal that I am no perfect and stick to the task on hand and continue to be professional and do the work that I can.

4. When in conflict, negotiate.

o   1. The Problem (what you perceive to be the cause of your stress). 2. How do you feel about the problem. 3. How it affects your productivity and motivation. 4. A win-win solution (both sides of the conflict get something positive for your solution (Davis, et al, 2019).  

5. Pace and balance yourself.

o   What makes the working good and when is it not so good? Monitor the schedule and see where the positive and negatives are throughout the day.

o   Work tasks interchangeably.  If you need to pause a task to work on another do so and then go back to the one that was the hardest task or the easiest task and complete as needed.

o   Find pleasurable work tasks that can help make the day better for yourself.

o   When taking breaks, really take a break. Have coffee, talk to a friend, listen to music, have a snack.

o   Use longer breaks to exercise.

o   Take mini breaks

o   Find leisure activities to take the stress away from the job.

Without having a good method to identify and manage work stress, fatigue, poor health, lost time with friends and loved ones, also increased expectations that would include added responsibility at work (Sparks, 2019).

When I am not working, I can easily disconnect my workday and separate from my home life.  The only thing I can consider that I do allow to stress within the working from home is my desk and ergonomics aspect of working. It is hard for me to sit for long extended periods of time and seems to get work as time goes by.  I manage this by making sure to get up regularly, stretch and to workout before and after work. I stick to a Mediterranean diet that emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables (Sparks, 2019).  I have not volunteered in a while, volunteering helps me to connect with the community and makes me feel better. Spark (2019) also states in the Mayo Clinic article the importance of volunteering and that this can contribute to a higher sense of work-life balance.

Strategies that I will incorporate into my stress management would be to find a good support system. It is important to join forces with others. Find trusted friends and loved ones to share what is stressful. And seeking professional help can be a strategy to help in guidance and just to talk about things that need to be talked about.

It is important in stressful situations to not blame others for situations that may be occurring.  The key is to look inward, identify what your own personal stressors are and then work on setting criteria, goals, and standards to create a positive and healthy atmosphere for yourself. In stressful times the only controllable thing is yourself and then in managing self-everything else falls into place.

References

Davis, M., Eshelman, E. R., & McKay, M. (2019). The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook (7th ed.). New Harbinger Publications. https://reader2.yuzu.com/books/9781684033362

Sparks, D. (2019, August 21). Mayo Clinic. Mayo Mindfulness: Tips to reclaim some control in your life-work balance. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-mindfulness-tips-to-reclaim-some-control-in-your-life-work-balance/