In The News: Work/Life Balance Out of Whack

What’s Up?

Canadians are overworked and failing at striking a healthy work/life balance. The typical employee works an average of 50.2 hours per week and more than 50 percent take work home. The Canadian work burden is 50 percent higher than it was two decades ago and only 23 percent of Canadians report being happy with their life. Yikes! 

Some Context for you...

These findings are just a few of the highlights from the 2012 National Study on Balancing Work and Caregiving in Canada. The study examined work-life experiences of 25,000 fully employed Canadians. This is the third study in two decades that has tracked Canadian workloads and how it affects levels of stress and happiness. 

Additional findings include:

Exacerbating these findings is the job market that has employees doing more with the fear of losing their job. And so, despite a raised awareness about the importance of work/life balance, fewer and fewer people are achieving it.

Considering that stress is a precursor to many serious health issues like obesity, insomnia, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stomach issues, anxiety, Alzheimer’s, accelerated aging and pre-mature death, this should be seen as a wake-up call.

What Now?

Whether the above fits you OR someone you know to a T, change starts with a few small steps in the right direction. Here are some ideas to help shift the work/life scale back to healthy.

1. Prioritize. Look at your big picture (aka your life). What are the most important things to you? Write them down. Then list everything that is currently taking up your time and energy every week and begin to eliminate the ones that aren’t a part of your priorities.

2. Set Personal Boundaries. Turn off the work phone everyday for a set time frame. Be sure to let your employer and co-workers know. You can give them your home phone for emergencies – you’d be surprised how reluctant people are to use it. Also, try limiting your email interaction by having real conversation with people – it can be more productive and reduces the risk of miscommunication.

3. Schedule ‘Me Time’. Put aside time everyday for one thing to get excited about. Going to yoga, taking a walk in nature, or practicing meditation are all great ways to reduce stress and will allow you to accomplish your daily tasks more efficiently. Whatever it is, schedule it in daily, and make sure it’s something you’ll be excited to dig into.

4. Ask for Support. Rally your troops (friends and family) and share where you’re at and where you want to be. Ask for their encouragement as you dig into these changes. Also consider approaching your employer about your work/life balance concerns and offer up a solution. Would they let you telecommute one or two days a week? Most employers want employees that are happy and relatively stress-free because they take fewer sick days and are more productive.

5. Watch This. Happy is a documentary that shares some valuable insight and personal stories from around the world, all very much related to the work/life balance challenge. Sit down and watch it with your troop, phones off.

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Valerie McTavish is a professional writer and video producer living ‘the good life’ in Kelowna, BC. She’s a long-time decision evader which she satisfies by letting a roll of the dice deliver her to spontaneous fun. Follow her adventures by chance at www.zufalladventures.com.