Sometimes, it’s not about the “Bottom Line”. Sometimes it’s more about the things that money CAN’T buy. A big issue for many of us is that we work hard to afford the lifestyle we dream of, but paying for it takes long hours at work – we forget to take the time to enjoy it!! Then we try to fit in quality family time, and it all becomes so stressful that it defeats the purpose. There’s gotta be more to life than just working and paying bills.
Smart employers understand the importance of keeping staff happy, because satisfied employees generally perform better…employees struggling with competing demands are often distracted and less effective. It actually makes good business sense to cultivate a workplace environment where employees are encouraged to nurture home responsibilities and their own wellbeing – more often than not this brings about best outcomes for the employer as well as the employee.
This is not to say employees have no role to play in finding their own balance…make sure you make the most of workplace policies aimed at flexibility and balance, to get the best for you and your family.
“Work Life Balance” is a bit of a trendy catch phrase these days, so perhaps the best way to find this balance is to not see work and home as competing…there is a synergy between the two elements…each complements the other, so be fully committed to each when appropriate. When you are at home, leave work stress and responsibilities behind, and enjoy focusing on the most important people in your life. When you are at work, your shopping and running the kids around needs to go on the back-burner of your mind, so you can concentrate on the job at hand.
Take time for yourself as well…some exercise, good eating habits, and making sure you get plenty of sleep can help make the most of all areas of your life.
Finding a good combination of work and family helps relieve stress and helps focus on our overall well-being, rather than trying to attain some fairy-tale ideal – if we merely decide to make the most of our situation we can live and work better without guilt or dissatisfaction.