A Plus Attitudes

LIFE BALANCE – PERFECT SUBJECT FOR START OF THE NEW YEAR AND WORK WEEK

Juggling life these days can be a bit overwhelming and everyone’s circumstances are unique to them. Whether you are single, married, young, old, parents, grandparents, working, attending college,life gets busy.

That’s why it is so important to incorporate balance in your life. I scan the classifieds every now and then to see if anything pops up that might interest me. One thing that catches my eye and is a big turn off to me is when I see phrases like: works well under pressure, thinks quick on their feet, fast-paced environment, long hours, juggle many tasks, go getter… You know what I’m talking about because I’m sure you have seen these too. How does that make you feel when you see them? Does that make you want to apply for the job? To me that is a big warning sign that the employer doesn’t respect life balance and will expect you to live and breathe work.

How did we ever get to this point in life where work takes precedence over everything else? So many of us put our lives on hold because of work. We put our family, our health, our happiness second to our careers…and for what? For some it is a necessity, but for many it’s because we have been brainwashed into thinking that is the only acceptable way to  get ahead in life.   We have been told that we have to have the bigger house, the designer handbags, the fancier cars, the latest technology. We just work and buy in hopes that we will eventually be accepted by our peers and achieve happiness. But how many of you are truly happy?

Please don’t think that I don’t value hard work and dedication, because I do. But, studies have shown that productivity drops throughout the work day, especially if breaks are discourage and the hours are long. So what are we trying to prove and really, what is the point?

There is nothing wrong with working hard so long as you dedicated some time in your daily/weekly routine to do something that is just fun. Take up a hobby. Start an exercise class or sign up for a race. Check out local organizations who might need volunteers. Schedule vacations and leave work home. If you are married, schedule dates with your spouse. If you have children, set aside one night a week for family time. Make it family dinner and movie night. You don’t have to go out to make it fun. Order pizza or chinese food for delivery and find a movie or a series that the family can watch together. Learn something new by taking an on-line class or attending a class.

It doesn’t matter if you are single, a stay-at-home parent, a telecommuter, or a commuter, everyone seems to have busy lives. That’s why it is so important to make sure that there is a healthy balance between work and home.

It’s not too late. We just started 2017, so what are you waiting for? Put down the work and go have some fun and for goodness sakes, ENJOY! Life is too short!