Work Life Balance

Dear Friends

I have recently noticed that a good number of friends are concerned about their health. I constantly hear complaints about feeling sick, exhausted and depressed. When I interact with them, I almost always discover that they spend the majority of their day working and very little or no time for true rest or relaxation. In the end, they become stressed, stop sleeping well, even though they are tired, and eventually begin developing other physical problems.

These aren't just my own observations. A number of scientific studies have shown that that all work and no play aren’t good for your mental, physical or emotional wellbeing. But that said, trying to balance work and fun can be one of the toughest things to do. It's not surprising when you think about it. From the time we are young, we are taught that doing a good job is important and that working hard will help us get ahead in life. As a result, many of us put too much time into work and too little into play. The good news is that you can actually train yourself to spend more time on having fun, which in the end greatly benefits your health.

Creating a balance between work and play usually involves an increase in leisure time, a process that may be easier than you think. I can show you very easily. Just take out a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle to divide it in half. On one side of the page list all the work and chores you do each day. On the other side of the page, list the things you currently do just for fun. My clients who do this are always surprised to see how hard they work and how little time they spend on healthy, fun and leisurely activities.

The next goal is to balance every work item or chore with something enjoyable. These activities don't have to be a minute-by-minute exchange. They can be small things like a few minutes of stretching, 15 minutes of meditation, a short walk around the block, working on a favorite hobby, or participating in some group activity. The idea is to get away from the grind so that you'll have more space to breathe and enjoy the day. If you keep working toward balancing your list, over time you will find it much easier to create the leisure time that is so vital to your mind, body and spirit.

Creating a better balance between work and play times will do wonders for your health and you'll actually enjoy life more. After all, our main reason for working is to create a better and more pleasant life!

Hope you'll try to my exercise. Make the most of it.