Maintaining Balance
Balance matters a lot to me, both professionally and personally. I have always tried to maintain a healthy work-life balance whilst understanding the need to adjust this balance when projects & priorities become demanding.
But how exactly should we adjust?
The immediate answer would be work more. Work harder. Work longer. But I disagree. When I am challenged with this mindset, I feel this is a short-term view and a significant part of the equation is missing.
Energy levels and productivity
My mentor & friend used to always say to me; You need to learn how to manage your energy levels.
There would be days where I could achieve ridiculous amounts in my normal working hours. Other days where this simply wouldn’t happen.
She would encourage me to go for a walk around the block to clear my head, put the piece of work down and look at something else for a while. When I picked it back up again I would see clearly what needed to be done.
It is about self-awareness and recognising your working patterns and making the most of your productivity.
Being involved in projects with seemingly ever-present deadlines and energy-sapping activities as go-live approaches, has only made me more aware of the need to pay attention and plan how I will use my energy effectively.
Taking responsibility for your work-life balance is not only empowering, it is also essential to a happy mind & a healthy lifestyle.
Why is the subject of balance weighing on my mind?
This subject popped into my mind because of lockdown & the working from home situation we find ourselves in. For most of us our home has also become our work.
The line has become thinner. Blurred & confused, for most I imagine.
How are people managing this?
How are companies supporting this?
To what extent will companies encourage balance when we ultimately return to working from the office, perhaps in a more flexible capacity?
Thoughts on a postcard?
I’m curious about the impact, not only in the immediate term but also the longer term impact on attitudes towards work-life balance and how organisations will support the inevitable shift in working patterns.
We shall see how it all pans out.
In the meantime I’m off to drink tea & look out of the window…
