It’s fall! Time for a look at work-life balance
Many of us have gotten into the habit of looking at fall as the start of the school year, even if it’s been decades since we were in school. I still see it as a reset of sorts, a time to look at my goals, my health, my relationships of all sorts, the state of my work-life balance. I’ve been thinking in particular about work-life balance, given that many people in our society struggle with that.
The 8 8 8 rule: what’s that?
When I was a new graduate of social work school in 1995, I worked at an agency while building my private practice and had a wonderful boss I’m still friends with today. Kevin saw me being overwhelmed with paperwork and talked with me about the 8 8 8 rule: 8 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of everything else.
For many of the people I work with who are in corporate America or who work as entrepreneurs, the 8 8 8 rule is an alien concept. The 8 hour workday went the way of one job comprising the entire career that ended with a gold watch at retirement. And for many new parents or older adults, 8 hours of sleep is only a fantasy. So while the 8 8 8 rule may be an unrealistic distribution of the 24 hours we all have, it’s a helpful aspiration.
Make your long workday feel like 8 hours
If you’re working long hours and feeling that your worklife has taken over the rest of your life, how can you bring things up to bring some pleasure into your day? Some people make a point of getting off the subway or bus a stop or two early to get in a bit of a walk, and take a 5-min break every hour to look away from the screen and do a lap around the office or home or chat with a colleague.
Others put a firm boundary around lunch and will not eat at their desks. Some will use lunchtime to socialize with colleagues over a meal or to take another walk alone or with a colleague or some combination of walking and talking, so that they get their social and activity needs met, as well as enjoying their midday meal. As the daylight hours grow shorter, midday walks ensure that we’re also getting some sunlight.
Solve that problem—with pleasure!
We also need to step away from actively thinking about the work issues we’re trying to solve. Taking breaks from the actual work allows the relevant factors to percolate in our mental background, and we may hit on a creative solution while we’re doing something else, walking or talking with a friend.
During my long-ago days in corporate America, I worked near the Museum of Modern Art and often went there during my lunch hour to get some inspiration. Another fun break was going to the Steinway piano showroom to work on my Brahms, finding a free lunchtime concert nearby, or going to an art gallery. I also enjoyed attending “lunch and learn” opportunities offered by my employer. One of my favorite lunchtime activities was finding a playground and watching the little kids or a dog park to see cute dogs.
In short, bringing non-work activities into my workday made the workday more satisfying and enjoyable.
Challenge your creativity and resourcefulness
So what are your takeaways from this? This isn’t a prescription for making your workday more enjoyable, though there are certainly ideas you can apply. It’s really encouragement to marshall your resourcefulness and creativity to maximize the pleasure in your life.
If you’re dealing with burnout or have concerns about your work-life balance, I’m here to help with job and career support. Give me a call or reach out through the contact form.