I am writing a piece about Work-Life balance for my workplace newsletter and am asking for some input
This is what I have written thus far
In my previous job working at a Hay exporting business, the owner built his own large scale hay baler.
One day it was decided to increase the output and the appropriate adjustments were made.
Output was increased by 20% but no allowances were made for extra workers to deal with this increase. Already working 12 hour shifts, the extra workload had an extremely detrimental effect on me. Both mentally and physically.
So much so that driving home after 6 days of 12 hour night shifts I fell asleep and hit a tree at over 100kpm.
I survived with minor injuries but came incredibly close to being a road statistic.
For many of us our life seems to revolve around work, work and more work.
The proverb - All work and no play makes Jack and Jill dull people has health implications for all of us.
In 1990, Mars got us thinking that there might be more to life than the constant grind.
A Mars a day helps you work, rest and Play.
Alvin Tofler, in his book - Future Shock, talked about how all of us are forced to participate in the rat race of life or be left behind.
Are you having dreams of your work? Do you wake up fretting about your workload for the coming day?
We need to take time out, away from our place of employment, away from our colleagues, away from the constant grind of deadlines and increased productivity.
Taking time for ourselves is imperative if we want a harmonious life.
Work/Life balance relates to our responsibilities on the job and our personal life. Personal life includes family, social and leisure pursuits.
8 hours work, 8 hours recreation, 8 hours play was first coined over 200 years ago and adopted in Victoria in 1856.
A holiday was declared, known as May Day, now known as Labour Day.
It was recognised that workers deserved fairness from their employers and as a result all employees receive gazetted holidays as part of their work contract.
Many workers are on the job for 50 hours a week and this is considered excessive.
Rising before dawn and returning home for dinner then going to bed, repeating the process every day.
This is very unhealthy as it can lead to fretful sleep, not being able to disengage the mind from work related matters.
Changing the way we approach work can have many benefits.
Better mental and physical well being, reducing stress and allowing us to reaffirm our personal relationships.
How do we improve our work/life balance?
Taking at least 3 or 4 holidays of one week duration is a very positive thing to do. Even looking forward to holidays lifts our spirits and reduces work related stress.
Ask your supervisor to not contact you while you are on holiday.
Interact with work colleagues in a positive way. This allows you to want to go to work and not dread the day ahead.
Personally, my free time is going to the John Forrest National Park, or Mt Observation in the Wandoo National Park.
Sitting on the banks of the Serpentine River watching nature go about it's business.
Photographing Bearded Dragons or a mob of Kangaroos. Watching a pair of Galahs feeding their chicks or being in awe of the Avon River in full flood.
These are some of the things I do to unwind from work.
Knowing and engaging with your passions allows you to achieve a work-life balance which will see you refreshed and eager for the coming work week.
What I am asking for are your suggestions about how you manage work/life balance?
How do you disengage from work ensuring you have ample meaningful time away from work and spreading yourself around family and friends?
Thank you for reading this and I will consider any of your thoughts and ideas.
In my previous job working at a Hay exporting business, the owner built his own large scale hay baler.
One day it was decided to increase the output and the appropriate adjustments were made.
Output was increased by 20% but no allowances were made for extra workers to deal with this increase. Already working 12 hour shifts, the extra workload had an extremely detrimental effect on me. Both mentally and physically.
So much so that driving home after 6 days of 12 hour night shifts I fell asleep and hit a tree at over 100kpm.
I survived with minor injuries but came incredibly close to being a road statistic.
For many of us our life seems to revolve around work, work and more work.
The proverb - All work and no play makes Jack and Jill dull people has health implications for all of us.
In 1990, Mars got us thinking that there might be more to life than the constant grind.
A Mars a day helps you work, rest and Play.
Alvin Tofler, in his book - Future Shock, talked about how all of us are forced to participate in the rat race of life or be left behind.
Are you having dreams of your work? Do you wake up fretting about your workload for the coming day?
We need to take time out, away from our place of employment, away from our colleagues, away from the constant grind of deadlines and increased productivity.
Taking time for ourselves is imperative if we want a harmonious life.
Work/Life balance relates to our responsibilities on the job and our personal life. Personal life includes family, social and leisure pursuits.
8 hours work, 8 hours recreation, 8 hours play was first coined over 200 years ago and adopted in Victoria in 1856.
A holiday was declared, known as May Day, now known as Labour Day.
It was recognised that workers deserved fairness from their employers and as a result all employees receive gazetted holidays as part of their work contract.
Many workers are on the job for 50 hours a week and this is considered excessive.
Rising before dawn and returning home for dinner then going to bed, repeating the process every day.
This is very unhealthy as it can lead to fretful sleep, not being able to disengage the mind from work related matters.
Changing the way we approach work can have many benefits.
Better mental and physical well being, reducing stress and allowing us to reaffirm our personal relationships.
How do we improve our work/life balance?
Taking at least 3 or 4 holidays of one week duration is a very positive thing to do. Even looking forward to holidays lifts our spirits and reduces work related stress.
Ask your supervisor to not contact you while you are on holiday.
Interact with work colleagues in a positive way. This allows you to want to go to work and not dread the day ahead.
Personally, my free time is going to the John Forrest National Park, or Mt Observation in the Wandoo National Park.
Sitting on the banks of the Serpentine River watching nature go about it's business.
Photographing Bearded Dragons or a mob of Kangaroos. Watching a pair of Galahs feeding their chicks or being in awe of the Avon River in full flood.
These are some of the things I do to unwind from work.
Knowing and engaging with your passions allows you to achieve a work-life balance which will see you refreshed and eager for the coming work week.
What I am asking for are your suggestions about how you manage work/life balance?
How do you disengage from work ensuring you have ample meaningful time away from work and spreading yourself around family and friends?
Thank you for reading this and I will consider any of your thoughts and ideas.
