Ellen McIntyre, PHC RIS
With Christmas just days away, along with school holidays, the need to take annual leave (or else lose it), plus the pressures to finish reports and start planning for next year, our ability to achieve a work-life balance is frequently challenged.
But what is a work-life balance and how do you know when you have this balance? The definition is easy, achieving the right balance is not. A work-life balance is about working no more than you should, having time and energy to do the things you enjoy, spending time with family and friends, and looking after yourself. In addition, this balance needs to be flexible in order to deal with the ever changing challenges we face.
Do you work to live, or live to work? Working too hard probably means you are not getting enough exercise or sleep, and ignoring your diet. Working too hard on only day-to-day matters can also be bad for your career. It leaves you with little time or energy to acquire new skills, make new contacts and plan ahead. Taking time to work out where you want to go with your career (and the other parts of your life) and then determining the steps you need to take to get there, takes time and energy but is well worth the investment. You have planning days at work. Why not do the same for yourself?
This issue is about workforce matters. With the current workforce crisis occurring in many areas of health care and services, there is a real need to stand back and look at the whole picture so that by solving the problems in one area, we do not create problems elsewhere. Is this something we need to do for ourselves too? Perhaps your New Year Resolution could focus on achieving a work-life balance.
Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
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