Like Homer Simpson, I too have had an epiphany, although thankfully it did not involve the components of a banana. My epiphany stemmed from the thought process “Am I just as well balanced and content at work as I am in my personal life?” This is how I came to my enlightenment moment…
Accepting the fact that as a working mom of 2, I spend as much time at work as I do taking care of my kids, it made me think about how well balanced I am at both work and work. , I searched the internet for articles describing what is defined as having a well-rounded lifestyle.
I found a fantastic self-help version of improving an element of my lifestyle: It’s a deliciously proven fact, the findings of which were published in the Journal of Nutrition, that consuming chocolate, wine, and tea on a daily basis actually helps improve our cognitive performance. Researchers from Norway and the University of Oxford studied the relationship between cognitive performance and the intake of three common foods that contain flavonoids. Those who consumed chocolate, wine or tea had significantly better mean test scores and a lower prevalence of poor cognitive performance than those who did not. That is a tactic I will definitely implement to help my balance in life!
We live modern life at an extremely fast pace and the pace at which we work can make it difficult to live a well-balanced life. There is a strong opinion that we need to make time to look holistically at our lifestyles in order to strive for the right balance. “Work, rest and play” is a typical adage that is repeated. Spending quality time with family and friends, balancing our schedules, and getting regular exercise are considered essential to help lead a fulfilling existence.
In my average 24 hour day, I spend about 8 hours sleeping (as long as I’m not trying to catch up on recorded episodes of the Sky 1 drama “Lie to Me” at 11pm when I should be going to bed). I have about 8 hours of my own time spread out before and after my workday, including taking the kids to school, playing taxi driver and hostess with the ‘mossa’ to the never-ending stream of usually adorable children who drop in for tea .
This leaves 8 hours that I spend working. Straining the math side of my brain, I came to the conclusion that I spend half my waking hours working. With that rude awakening, I realized that I need to take stock and make sure that I am getting the right balance of satisfaction in my work life and my free time.
As I reflected on this, I decided to ask some of my friends what their opinion on the subject of having a well-rounded lifestyle meant to them. The general consensus was that, on a personal level, you need enough money to live comfortably, be relatively intelligent, and have lots of friends.
Sounds good until you realize that the highly regarded financial security, intelligence, and popularity were actually the product, not the foundation, of a balanced lifestyle. Therefore, a balanced lifestyle is not something innate, but something we achieve with effort and work. So if that’s supposed to be the criteria for a generally fulfilled life, what do we need to feel complete and content in the workplace?
Back to our friend Homer Simpson then, and a conversation from an episode where his lovable boss Mr. Burns is giving Homer his job back…
Homer: Thanks for giving me my job back, Mr. Burns.
mr burns: I’m afraid it’s not that simple. As punishment for your desertion, it is company policy to plague you.
blacksmiths: Uh, sir, that’s the “plate”.
Mr. Burns:: Oh yeah, the special demotivational plaque to break what’s left of your spirit. Because you see, you are here… forever.
[Smithers screws the plaque to the wall]
Mr. Burns: [reading] “Do not forget you’re here forever”.
From my own perspective, I want to feel motivated and inspired, appreciated, respected, and most importantly, confident. Surely, as long as these factors are incorporated into the foundation of my work environment, the path I follow on a daily basis must be one of fulfillment. Fortunately, my boss doesn’t share the business ethic that Mr. Burns shares. I don’t need a plaque on my wall to say I’m “Employee of the Month.” Fortunately, my boss has created what I think is essentially a well-balanced work environment in which to spend my time… lucky me!
So if you were to compare the balance of your well-being at work, would you find yourself in Jo Dawson’s place of contentment or Homer Simpson’s workplace of hell?