Work and Life Balance

The presentation from yesterday's Work and Life Balance lunch and learn session is posted at
S: SCRegion/Camden/Melissa/Lunch and Learn Presentations

Recap:

Keeping a healthy balance involves 3 aspects:

Self-care (personal health and wellness)
Others-care (family, friends, relationships)
Meaningful work (contributing to society, challenging, stimulating work)

Most of us don't ignore one of those things, but we try to do too much. This causes us distress, rather than peace.

It's a challenge to find a healthy balance, but we need to see our limits to do this properly. We cannot always think of just ourselves, or always say yes to others.

Circle Balance Activity

Draw a circle and divide into 3 segments, one for each of the healthy balance aspects. Draw each segment based on how much time and energy you put into the following: self-care, others-care, meaningful work. Next, divide the self-care section into how much time and energy you put into physical, mental, relational, and spiritual with a dotted line. Divide the others-care into family, friends, and reaching out. Divide the meaningful work into job and service to other causes.

This will help you see how you are balancing yourself between those 3 things.

Finding a healthy balance is an ongoing process and you must decide on it, no one else can decide for you.

We all have limits and must recognize those limits in order to keep a healthy balance. We should accept our limits, set priorities, make clear commitments to keep ourselves healthy.

Planning Guide - To Keep a Healthy Balance

Step 1: Clarify your values
◦What is your purpose in life, what are your goals?

Step 2: Set healthy balance goals
◦Use the circle exercise again to define ideal balance, your goals

Step 3: Rebalance regularly
◦Keep testing until you find what works well for you, adjust and revise until you find a style for you

Regarding rebalancing:
The goal is balance, every small change you make will help lead to a healthy balance. Perfect adjustment is never possible. Imbalance will not ruin you, as long as it doesn’t remain out of line for too long. Balance is an activity we engage in over and over again, as we make corrections throughout life.


That will be the last lunch and learn presentation for fall 2009. Look for more information coming out for the spring wellness activities!