Do You Understand the Importance of Balancing Work and Leisure?

Some stress is a good thing, in that it keeps you going, keeps you looking for solutions, stimulates your creativity and activity. But when the stress is not balanced with de-stressors you can become unhealthy and ineffective in your work.

Prevention is the key. Keep fit and eat healthily is the slogan you have heard over and over, but sometimes it seems impossible to do even those two things and then you get stressed about that! Remember that each person is different and what works for one person may not work for another. Try to find the balance that works for you and stick to it but remember to be kind and forgiving with yourself.

First it is important that you are able to identify when you are over stressed and here are some clues:

• Stiff muscles, often in the back or shoulders
• Stomach pains
• Inability to concentrate on tasks at hand
• Feeling that you want to fight or flee. This is due to an increase in adrenaline and is a natural reaction to extremely stressful situations
• Habits increasing in activity such as biting your nails, overeating, smoking more, drinking more alcohol
• Feeling as if you are about to explode with anger; perhaps taking that anger home and unleashing it on family and friends

These are just a few symptoms of over-stress and you may have your own personal signals that tell you, you need to relax. Leisure activities and relaxation are also very personal and it is important that you discover what you like to do to wind down.

It is known that: Exercise helps combat stress. With prolonged exercise, endorphins (a natural body chemical) are released in the body and they relax you.

Laughter relaxes you because it releases endorphins and uses body muscles. An activity that uses the opposite side of your brain is a good way to relax. You use one side of your brain for logical, calculating and problem solving tasks and the opposite side for artistic, and movement related tasks like sports, drawing, singing.

Any activity that makes you feel calm can be considered a leisure activity. From reading a murder mystery book to playing tennis, leisure is defined as time that you use for fun and relaxation.

Things To Do at Work

• Brighten up your work space with personal things like pictures.
• Take your breaks. Hang out with happy people.
• Think challenge rather than problem.
• Listen carefully. It helps you to 'be in the moment.' Focus on one thing at a time.
• Avoid saying and thinking 'I have to ...' Try thinking 'I want to ...' You do have choices. If you are making promises make sure you can keep them. Try under promising and over delivering.
• Stretch regularly. Do neck rolls and stand up to readjust your sitting position if you are working at a job that requires you to sit for most of the day.
• Breathe! 10 minutes of deep breathing can relax you. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 5; hold for a count of 5 and breathe out through your mouth for a count of 10. Do this 5 times.

Finding the Time

You may feel that you don't have the time to play a game of chess or go for a bike ride with your family. Too much work to do!

You need to make time.
You need to give yourself permission to take the time for your leisure. It is more than ok to do thisŠit is essential to your well being and consequently will make your work time more efficient, productive and satisfying.

Make a list of personal priorities.
These are things that you want to accomplish in the next month. Set the list aside and at the end of 3 weeks check the list to see what you have accomplished. If you have done them all... Great! If you are like most people and have not, you need to make some changes. Mostly we tend to do the things that seem most pressing in our lives and forget the things that we have listed as important.

Revise the list.
Is it too much? Is it too complicated? (break it down into smaller parts).

Think carefully about what you want.
There is some stress associated with any change. Decide whether things really need to change or maybe they are fine just as they are.

The balance between leisure and work is different for every person. People who have achieved that balance are healthier and more satisfied with their work and home lives. They are more positive, have more energy and are able to approach challenging tasks with enthusiasm.

Balancing Work and Leisure Resources Martin C. Helldorfer. Work Trap: Rediscovering Leisure, Redefining Work. Twenty Third Publications/Bayard, 1995. John T. Haworth ed. Work, Leisure and Well Being. Routledge, 1997. Jeffrey T. Mayer. Time Management for Dummies. Hungry Minds Inc., 1999. (also on audio cassette). www.montana.edu http://myria.com/money homework/work www.eapweb.com www.worklifecollaboration.org

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