There is a lot of talk these days about work-life balance. Now, more than ever, people are not satisfied with working long hours and sacrificing their home life for their work. At the same time, we want to find work that engages us and that we enjoy. So how do we find a balance?
Enjoy Your Work
As much as you can, enjoy your work. To varying degrees, this is where most people spend much of their week. If you can enjoy your work it will have a ripple effect to the rest of your life. I have found that when I really enjoy the work I do, my life feels much more balanced as I like this part of the day. This may mean a change of attitude or mindset if you are used to not liking your job. Sometimes making new friends at work or taking on a new project can help you feel differently about your work. You could meet with your manager and ask if there is a change of role or responsibility that could help you enjoy your job better. If you really are not enjoying your job and feel like you have done everything you can, it might be time to move on.
Spend Less
Spend less than you earn. However much you enjoy your work, it is nice to have some room to move. The better you are at managing your money, the more flexibility and options you will have which in turn will make you feel better in all areas of your life. For example, if you can only work part time to look after a child or want to leave your job to freelance, you will have more options if you have a safety net and are used to living within a budget. Spending all that you earn will leave you reliant on your job and at the whims of any external changes. Getting used to managing what you earn will empower you and help you to feel in charge of your life at work…and at home.
Learn To Say No
A big issue for many people with regards to keeping a good work-life balance is knowing how to say “no”. You don’t want to let people down (or appear unwilling), so you continue to do unpaid overtime or take on more than you can handle. Of course, sometimes there may be situations where you need to step in and help out — but if you are consistently finding that your work is creeping into other areas of your life, it’s time to learn to say no. This also applies to taking on work. People often feel overwhelmed with work or out of balance if they are taking on too much. Remember, you don’t have to say “yes” to everything.
If you are not used to saying no, start small and keep practicing. It gets easier each time you do it. If people are used to you saying yes to everything then it may take a little time to adjust to your new approach, but give it time. They eventually will and, as a result, get used to your new boundaries. Be clear and value your time and others will, too.
Create A Good Life Outside Work
Often the reason work creeps into other areas of our lives is because our life outside work is lacking. It can be easier to throw yourself into work if you feel like things are not going well at home or your social life feels empty. I don’t think this is always a bad thing; sometimes work can take our mind off things or be therapeutic for a while. However it is important to be honest with yourself and if you find that you are using work as a crutch for the rest of your life, it could be time to look at creating new habits. Joining a new class or exercising are two examples of ways to keep that balance and create positive experiences outside your work life. Start with one thing and build on these experiences.
Remember That No One is Indispensable
No one is truly indispensable. It can be nice to feel that you are needed or that you are the only person that can do something, but ultimately it’s not true. If you are finding that you are relying on that feedback to feel good about yourself, it’s time to take a step back and see the bigger picture. In my experience, when you feel this way it can be a sign that your approach to work is becoming unhealthy. Realize that you don’t have to do everything yourself and that it is okay to delegate work to other people. It can take a bit of adjustment and will involve letting go of some control, but taking a step back will result in a better experience for you and the people you work with.
Conclusion
This is the time of year when goals and resolutions start to go off track, and achieving great work-life balance is a familiar one. Hopefully by trying some of the above tips you’ll be able to stay balanced when going off kilter isn’t all that uncommon.
(Image courtesy of SashaW under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 generic license.)
On this week’s episode of the WorkAwesome podcast, Mike Vardy had the pleasure to speak with Shaun Blanc, known for his elegant posts at his own site, shawnblanc.net.
During the interview, Shawn discusses the different tools he uses to stay productive, how he works at home in comparison to working in the office and offers some insights into his productivity software of choice, OmniFocus. If you’re looking to jump into OmniFocus as your productivity tool of choice, Shawn’s website is a highly valuable resource.
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For the majority of us, the “desk jockey” habits of office life consume our body’s health as we consume the dozen donuts left absentmindedly at the communal kitchenette. Our typical office day can last around 8 or 9 hours, leaving us sitting in a chair staring at a computer screen or paperwork. This lack of physical activity can take a huge toll on our backs, our wrists, our eyes, and even our legs. The many of us who are lucky to have these nine to five jobs are the ones stuck in such daily working routines of ill body health. Though office life can be blissful, it can also spell out a literal pain in the neck.
When most of us got involved in the office life, we thought it would be awesome to sit in a chair for the entire workday. We laughed at the unwise blue-collar workers and their labor jobs. “Hard work is for suckers,” we said. Yet we were so unaware of the benefits that the labor jobs bring and the disadvantages of the monotony of a desk job.
Though it does feel great to sit restfully at a desk, we human beings were not meant to remain immobile in that manner for such long periods of time. We are active beings, not meant to sit in one place. Our bodies are like machines with moving parts that need maintenance and use. They require physical activity to maintain their health and balance.
Sitting at a desk (even if it is in an ergonomic chair) for long hours can result in obesity and many other health problems. Here are 5 desk exercises to help you exert some energy and bring athletic activity back to your office life.
Lower Back Desk Exercise
A sore lower back is a very common problem for desk jockeys. It can be difficult to practice good posture for long hours. This leads to some relaxed slouching, which inevitably causes lower back and neck pain. You can do a simple stretch to help alleviate this discomfort. You can do this stretch either sitting in a chair or standing up:
- Place your hands, palms down, on your lower back.
- Point your fingers down and lean back.
- Push your breastbone up towards the sky, keeping your elbows pointing straight back.
- Hold for 15 seconds then relax.
- Repeat the above steps twice.
This stretch will help you relieve the tension that builds up in your lower back. To avoid injury, remember not to bounce or jerk your muscles while exercising or stretching your back.
Calf Stretch and Quadriceps Desk Exercise
This exercise will help relieve the tired and lethargic feeling that invades your leg muscles due to inactivity. It will assist in eliminating leg cramps and muscle spasms. In addition, the quadriceps exercise will actually strengthen the muscle itself through an isolated isometric flex at the top.
Before attempting this exercise, ensure that you have enough space to fully extend your legs. Do the following exercise with your back straight and your feet planted flat on the floor in front of you.
- Place your hands flat on top of your right leg.
- Lift your right leg from your hip flexor and fully extend it straight from the knee.
- With your leg fully extended flex your upper leg muscle and hold for 10 seconds.
- Lower your right leg slowly, once again placing your foot flat on the floor.
- Repeat exercise with the left leg.
- Repeat the above steps twice.
You can also stretch out both legs under the desk for a minute. This exercise will enhance the blood flow to your legs and alleviate muscle cramps. While doing the above exercise you should feel a solid stretch in your calf muscle and a firm tightening of the upper leg quadriceps.
Shoulder Stretch and Desk Exercise
A simple exercise that can be done from behind the desk is the shoulder stretch/roll. This exercise will help you when those cases of copy paper and archived record boxes get a little heavy. It is also good for those with aching shoulders. Remember to sit up straight with your feet firmly planted on the floor when doing the following exercise.
- Stretch your right arm in front of you and across your chest, as if you were grabbing something on your left side.
- Bring your left arm under and in front of your right arm.
- Gently hug your right arm in towards your chest.
- Repeat with the arms reversed.
- Relax your arms, letting them hang down loosely at your side.
- Slowly roll both shoulders backwards ten times.
- Slowly roll both shoulders forward ten times.
These movements will help relax the shoulders and neck, as well as add flexibility and strength. In addition, they both can easily be done as a desk exercise.
Abdominal Crunch Desk Exercise
Even though no one likes to admit it, sitting for long hours at a desk can lead to a bulging waistline. This can be a cause of stress for many. You can combat this enemy with a simple crunch desk exercise done directly from your office chair.
- Sit on the edge of your seat.
- Lean back from the waist, keep your back straight.
- Hold the seat of your chair with both hands.
- Lift both legs up, keeping your knees bent while tightening your abdominal muscles.
- Straighten your legs holding your heels a few inches off of the floor.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have completed 10 repetitions.
For most of us, abdominal exercises are not fun. However, if you can master this one you will be well on your way to developing a stronger and leaner midsection. This exercise will strengthen your core and help promote better posture.
Sit and Stand Up Straight
Many people are surprised when they hear that sitting and standing up straight is an exercise. Good posture itself is probably one of the most effective core strengthening exercises out there. This is due to the amount of muscles required to stabilize the upper body when keeping the back straight and the tummy tight. Here are some tips for better posture.
- Adjust your chair and keyboard to promote a non-slouching sitting position.
- Always sit with both feet firmly flat on the ground in front of you.
- Stand up tall, with your shoulders back and your chin raised.
Practicing good posture will usually alleviate lower back and neck pain. It will help you feel more confident and in control of yourself. Sitting and standing up straight will continually build strength in your abdominal and lower back muscles.
Conclusion
These office exercises are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to developing a healthy lifestyle. Make sure you get up and walk around a few times a day. Start taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If the commute to work isn’t too long, riding your bike or walking to work a couple of times a week will do you some good as well.
Trying to exercise at your desk might feel a little awkward at first, so try the routine at home until you get it all figured out. Don’t worry about what Bob might be thinking when you begin to practice them at the office. As he watches your confidence and health improve, he might even be motivated to try the desk exercises for himself. You could end up creating a much healthier office life for all of your colleagues.
(Image courtesy of emdot under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 generic license.)
Where can you catch up on some great iCal tricks, get attuned to your own internal clock and learn when procrastination is a good thing?
This week’s Awesome Links, that’s where.
5 Superb iCal Tricks To Streamline Your Productivity
The Guiding Tech blog has a pretty useful post that could help iCal users enhance their daily productivity and help manage their schedule in a more efficient manner. Some of these tips aren’t that uncommon but as with any common tips, they are seldom implemented. There’s a nice “easter egg” at the end of the list, too.
How to Hone the Accuracy of Your Internal Clock and Better Understand Your Time
Lifehacker has an interesting post on resetting your internal clock. The idea is that doing so can stop you from underestimating the time you take to finish tasks, understand what your best work hours are and how to use small chunks of time during the day to streamline your work.
9 Ways in Which Yoga Changed My Life … And Could Change Yours
I am a yoga fan. I may be living in the country where it originated, but that’s not the reason. Yoga is actually a great way to rejuvenate your mind and body each morning, and I practice it time and again (though not as consistently as I should). So, while I was not surprised by Claudia’s post at the FeelGooder blog, where she talked about the positive changes that yoga brought about in her life, I thought maybe I should share the piece here so that some of you could also get started with it.
How to Be a Purple Cow Among Designers
If you are someone who’s recently started with designing and wondering how it to stand out in a crowd of hundreds of thousands of designers around the world, this post at the Six Revisions blog can help you. The writer has some useful advice on how you could do things differently and become “the purple cow” (i.e remarkable in the field of web design).
When Procrastination is a Good Thing
Lastly, we have Mark Shead from the Productivity 501 blog offering an interesting perspective on the benefits of procrastination. He focuses on the value of the activity that forces you to procrastinate on the task at hand. Most of the times it is of lower value but — at times — its value is higher than the task you were about to begin.
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You leave things to the last minute, find yourself at every red light on your route to work, never have enough time to eat breakfast or comb your hair, and you are perpetually late. Friends and co-workers expect it from you and your boss (if you’re so lucky) tolerates it on the basis of the entertaining excuses you come up with.
Running late sucks and it’s mighty embarrassing to show up last. You admire the person who arrives polished and early, coffee in hand and wonder just how they do it. It’s not magic; it takes effort, forethought and a genuine desire to be on time to do it.
While genetics and upbringing certainly have an impact on your ability to use time productively, they are not the “be all end all”. As much as I adore my parents, they are forever late. I have grown to accept it, but relatives and co-workers alike have started telling them dinner starts an hour earlier than the true time. Sneaky? Yes. Functional? Absolutely.
Remember the Golden Rule
Organized people prioritize and focus on being prompt. Not only do colleagues and their career depend on this, but it is the best way to show others ‘Hey! I’m on the ball’. When you arrive late you are basically saying to someone that you do not respect them or that their time is just as valuable as yours.
I always find myself running five minutes behind and am so fed up with forever fretting about finding parking, racing to make it and coming up with excuses to appease my boss, friend or colleague. Some people consider one minute after the designated time late — but you know when you’re late, and that sinking feeling doesn’t sit well.
So how does one alter this behavior for the better? Truth be told, it takes 21 days to change a habit. Set four separate alarms and get in the routine of waking at 7 am every day so you don’t oversleep Monday’s 9 am meeting. It is essential to plan your route prior to leaving for a scheduled appointment. This means incorporating and expecting traffic delays, catching every single red light and finding zero parking nearby and still managing to arrive on time.
Another option is to ask an “early bird” friend to give you a morning wake-up call. Even if you are long past the teenage years, having someone ‘mommy’ you long enough for you to get your act in gear may be the kick start you need! Friends are fantastic for giving blunt advice. Just ask your friend what trick they use to arrive early.
Enjoy the Perks
Reward yourself! Being the first person at the office has a refreshing and vitalizing feel. Not only do you feel composed and ready to take on the world, but you get to chuckle at the late people fumbling with their briefcase, coffee, and paperwork as they race to prepare for the day. I get a kick out of making to-do lists — limiting myself to six tasks. Why six? It’s been said that six is the maximum number of things a person can retain at any given time.
Setting your clocks ahead by 5 or ten minutes can help create a buffer. If it’s better for you to visualize a benefit of arriving on time, think of work as a celebration of your merit. If you weighed as heavily on the importance of arriving early to work as you would to accept a fat cheque or scholarship, chances are you’d be there with bells on.
Be your own mentor
Rushed folks race around looking stern and self-important. It doesn’t exactly radiate a ‘come chat with me’ kind of vibe. Colleagues appreciate and prefer to work with level-headed peers. And bosses certainly notice who’s able to maintain their composure under pressure. When it comes to setting deadlines, those who recognize that a task takes double and a half the time you might expect, will find themselves most effective.
Slip on your boss’s shoes. Would you prefer to choose the ‘early’ person who meets deadlines or somewhat of a mixed bag as an employee? Give your peers and supervisors only good things to say about you. Communication is imperative if you are running late. It shows respect if you call or email (as embarrassing as being late can be) to admit your fault and accept responsibility. People can expect the worst, and giving them the consideration makes your lack of punctuality slightly less offensive.
Value your professional image
Your career is what you spend the majority of your time doing, so it is imperative that you do it well. Purchase a sizable day-planner that can help you accurately outline your daily tasks and actually use it. Mine does wonders as a vault filled with contacts, emails and deadlines, and I would be simply lost without it. Punctuality is the number one thing you can accomplish to allow people to perceive you as effortlessly composed, organized and resourceful.
Become the person you admire, if only so someone else can consider you a role model.
(Image courtesy of manwithface under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 generic license.)