An overall balance within one’s life can really make a positive impact upon one’s well-being. Conversely, an imbalance can have a negative impact upon it as well. We feel this is especially relevant in terms of achieving and sustaining a healthy weight.
Over time, we will cover many topics related to this view. Today, we will discuss a bit about how important it can be to establish an overall work-life balance.
Many of us may feel overworked, and indeed, many of us are! So what can we do when our bosses or employers seem to demand more out of us than we may be reasonably be able to supply?
Let me start by stating this: These are just our views about this topic. We are not recommending that you not follow the direction of your employer or shun their policies. It is up to you to figure the balance that works right for you and your employer.
Anyways, let me start to answer the previous question in this way. It may be of benefit to ask yourself some questions about how you approach your job. Here are some examples:
How many hours per week do you work? Is this amount of hours mandatory, or is it voluntary? If it is voluntary and over 40, do you work overtime because you can’t seem to get everything done within a 40-hour week? Or, is it because you repeatedly get asked to work overtime and have a hard time saying no? Could it be that you are paid on an hourly basis and need the money? Do you find that this overtime is negatively impacting your life or that it is excessive?
If you answered yes to the last question, it may be one sign that your job is negatively affecting your work-life balance.
So what can happen as a result if you feel overworked? Well, there are many possibilities…
One of the biggest impacts can be elevated stress levels. Stress can affect many aspects of your health in a detrimental way. One of them can be poor diet. When you feel stressed and that you have little time on your hands, you may opt for less healthier options like fast food, cheap snacks, soda, coffee, etc. You may also feel so exhausted in your free time that you don’t feel like doing much except sleeping or sitting on the couch. This can result in a lack of exercise.
Also, it is very important to think of the impact that stress can have on your psychological state. It can exacerbate depression or cause you to feel anxiety because of the overwhelming demands. You may not get adequate sleep, which also can affect your emotions. The lack of sleep makes you feel drained, so you may end up eating more to compensate. Also, the fatigue makes the days seem harder to get through, which affects your emotional state even more, increasing your stress. Due to a lack of time on your hands, you may neglect to take care of yourself as good as you could. This can have a subconscious effect. All of these factors can affect each other and your emotional state, giving you motivation to turn to food for relief…
And all of this because maybe your job “demands” it! Maybe you can’t always sacrifice your well-being just to please your employer.
Again, I am not advocating that you start calling in sick when you feel too tired to go in or that you begin to take less interest in or a lackadaisical approach to your job. You will always want to have respect for your employer, and to follow within their guidelines.
But you also want to make sure that respect is mutual and that unreasonable demands are not being placed upon you by yourself or others.
There are many questions that you may want to ask yourself to see if there are areas where you can alter your approach to your job in a way that will potentially result in you working fewer hours, but also you getting more done.
Are there tasks that are wasting your time that may not be necessary?
Can you delegate anything to someone else who has a lesser workload?
Do you have trouble drawing the line between work and home? In other words, do you always have your Blackberry on, and do you find yourself responding to e-mails and inquiries immediately, even during times when you are off work?
Do you have trouble saying no to voluntary assignments or working hours?
Could you be more organized?
Could you spend less time traveling on business, or opt to teleconference instead?
Is it possible for you to telecommute more often, thereby saving yourself time and money by commuting less?
You see where I’m going with this. There are many aspects of your job that you may have control over that you may not have really thought you did. If you can change these areas, and still generate the same quality of work and productivity, all-the-while working less hours, then not only can you spend more time away from work, you may be able to achieve a healthier work-life balance. This can put you just one step closer toward reaching equilibrium for yourself, and the accompanying optimum weight and health.
Stop by periodically to learn more about ways you can work toward achieving a healthier work-life balance.
