Through life and lifelong learning, we understand to be healthy, and to care for our self, we must have adequate nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Through life experiences we have learned that a sense of humor is also necessary to maintain health. To avoid stress, which harms our health, we need to handle our emotions, thoughts, and feelings. To handle our emotions, thoughts, and feelings, we must know our goals and values. Knowing our goals and values, we are able to obtain balance. To have obtained balance, we then perform at our highest and have harmony.
Work-life balance: is it an elusive ideal or myth? In my research of the concept of work-life balance I found interesting facts. First, there has been a timeline established for the term "work-life balance" as to when it was first coined and when it became a commonplace term. Second, the idea that, work-life balance, is a woman's issue. Third, work-life balance alludes to the fact that life and work are not the same thing.
First, media reported work-life balance 32 times from 1986 to 1996. In 2007, work-life balance was reported 1,674 times.
Second, when I "Googled" work-life balance, the first hit was headlined under "Women's Health" on WebMD, with an article written by Jen Uscher. So is work-life balance only a woman's concern?
This question took me down the trail of minorities in nursing. Nurses are proportionately more women. The American Nurses Association states that there are 3.1 million nurses. http://MinorityNurse.com states that of the registered nurses, 9.1% are men. The average age of the nurse is 44.6 years. And, 14.8% of the registered nurses are younger than 30 years. Most registered nurses, 85% or 2,596,600, remain employed in nursing. Hospitals employ 63.2% of the registered nurses per US Nursing Workforce, Trends in Supply and Education, 04/13.
I discovered that the male version of work-life balance is called "Alpha Dad." Alpha dads are those males juggling their careers and families, that is, getting home before bath time and showing up for events, therefore reconciling those family efforts with driving ambition. What males do not add to their work-life balance issues is the guilt and beating oneself up over the imbalance. Alpha dads don't seem to believe in balance but in getting what they want. Men now spend three times as much time with their children as their grandfathers did.
Third, the fact is if we are saying we need work-life balance does that mean life is what happens before or after work?
Regardless of being male or female, and whatever you want to call it, work-life balance is a journey and is either created energy or removed energy from yourself, your relationships, that is, family and friends, and/or your work. It is not overworking at the expense of your health, your family, your love life, and your creative soul. Being balanced includes the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of being human.
Nowadays, extra hours and technology seem to rob us of that work-life balance. Even when away from work physically we are "one click away." We "stay late" or from home remain "connected" from fear of losing our job due to restructuring, layoffs and to fears of being "cutback" per Robert Brooks, PhD, in Bring Greater Enjoyment Into My Life.
It is tempting to continue to work all day and into the night. You may be attempting to earn a promotion. Maybe in your workplace, overtime is an "unwritten expectation or un-announced competition" among coworkers. Or, maybe you are managing an ever-increasing workload because of layoffs and cutbacks that have already occurred, that is, hidden by attrition that is not replaced.
Because we are so busy, do we even recognize the signs of being out of balance? According to http://mayoclinic.org, these are the consequences of poor work-life balance:
1. Fatigue. Fatigue prevents you from working productively or to think clearly.
2. Lost time with friends and loved ones. This lost time leads you to missing milestones, feeling left out, unable to nurture friendships, and may even harm relationships.
3. Increased expectations. The more you work, the more work you are given.
In the Times, Eric Barker (04/02/14) writes how to achieve work-life balance in five steps:
1. Build downtime into your schedule. Do whatever helps you recharge: such as spending time with family and friends. Planning time with others, for instance, helps you then manage your time, to make it to that planned event. In other words, pay attention or track your time.
2. Drop activities that sap your time and energy. Be aware of activities that do not enhance your career or personal life. This may include items that do not fit into your own values. For example, being with those that are seemingly always venting or gossiping. This also includes limiting your time on the web/social sites, and personal calls especially while on duty. You may even need to learn to say, "no." Say no respectfully, of course. This is being proactive with one's calendar.
3. Rethink errands. Outsourcing time-consuming household chores or errands may "give back" time. How do you outweigh "time versus money" though? Outsourcing may add to your expenses, which then can add to your anxiety. An idea given was: exchange services with perhaps neighbors. For example, you may enjoy cooking. While your neighbor or child of a neighbor may like to baby-sit. So exchange providing the neighbor with a meal for babysitting. This is bolstering your support system. Other ideas are to manage your time at home organizing your household tasks efficiently. Do a little bit everyday rather than saving it all for your supposed day off.
4. Get moving. Exercise ultimately boosts energy and the ability to concentrate. Even though taking the time to exercise may be a challenge; exercise is a "time for self." Therefore nurturing yourself. Planning exercise can mean, setting aside activities to do with your partner, family, or friends. "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving" (Albert Einstein).
5. A little relaxation goes a long way. Slowly build relaxation activities or techniques into your workday. Even on a hectic day, taking 10-15 minutes is enough to recharge. Or, here is a thought, leave work at work. This is a conscious effort to keep your personal time, your personal time.
In some research, work-life balance was a choice of family versus money (food and clothing). However, a person who has been in the news as of late, Sandberg (COO of Facebook) secrets to work-life balance, is multitasking and the ultimate career choice of finding a "good husband." That may not be the answer for everyone.
You will never be "done" with work. To be productive at work though is time management without procrastination. We can all be masters of procrastination, dependent upon the task at hand.
Then there is the notion, if you love what you "do," it's not supposed to be "work." So does that mean if you feel out of balance you are in a job you hate, to impress those you don't like, to obtain things you don't need?
Maybe your goal at work is to be a controlled busy but not rushed? To be rushed or experience that feeling of "loss of control" is what produces your anxiety.
Have you heard of or used the Eisenhower Matrix? The concept is by Dwight D. Eisenhower but made popular by Stephen Covey. Eisenhower, for instance, when confronted with a task would first ask if the task was important and second if it was urgent. Based on these two questions, the task could end up in four categories. The categories were urgent and important, not urgent and important, urgent and not important, and not urgent and not important. The categories were labeled into a quadrant grid for a visual effect to help determine priorities. The order in which one fulfilled the tasks is important because of the limited time in one's day. This then allows one to consciously filter incoming distractions and place those distractions in the proper priority.
Remember, knowing our goals and values, we are able to obtain balance. Know your values-this allows you to know what should take precedence.
1. Your values, in other words, is what is important or what matters to you most? Do that, then, draw the line. And remember, the small things can matter. A small investment in the right place may reap high rewards.
2. What gets disproportionate results? Is it what's within proximity, what's closest to you or the easiest to do? These items do not equal priority.
3. Only do the things you do well and if someone else can do it let them. Focus on things only you can do.
4. What's most important right now? Do the work that has the nearest deadline to decrease your anxiety. Do the important things, which must be done now.
There are those stating that they get things done because they are list makers. Are you a list maker? Does it make you feel better to have a large list just to have items checked off? In the scheme of things, this technique may be a time waster because the items on the list were not important, giving you a false sense of accomplishment.
It may be more productive to do fewer things and do them well.
In summary, work-life balance is a journey. Therefore, balance is not obtained with a one-time attempt to fix, nor is there a quick fix. Work-life balance is a continuous process as our needs at work, at home, or for ourselves evolve.
To maintain work-life balance, periodically examine your priorities and adjust accordingly to stay in harmony. Sometimes even seeking professional help is necessary to identify your values and obtain ideas to maintain that harmony we seek.
"You can do anything, once you stop trying to do everything" (Eric Barker).
Take care of yourself so you can care. Care to be, Care to do, Care a calling.
Joseph H. (Skoot) Dimon III, MD
On March 24, 2014, the Orthopaedic Nursing Community lost one of its founding fathers, Joseph H. Dimon III, MD, who died following an extended illness. Known affectionaly as "Skoot," he and Clara A. Donahoo, RN, formally began organized orthopaedic nursing as we know it today in 1970. Both worked at Peachtree Orthopaedic Clinic (POC) in Atlanta, GA.
There is and was no other orthopaedist who loved nurses more than Dr. Dimon. It was his life's goal to teach nurses the art of orthopaedic patient care. Dr. Dimon made learning and caring for patients fun and exciting.
Much of orthopaedic nursing education in the early years was conducted from the campus of POC and encouraged and supported by the nurses and physicians at POC. With the mentoring of Dr. Dimon and POC, a group of nurses began the first organization for orthopaedic nurses. The National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses was built on that early foundation.
-The Atlanta Chapter