Achieving a Balance: Personal Strategies

I am blessed to have my wife and children to help me care for my father, who lives with us and suffers from Alzheimer's disease. My work and home life is a constant balancing act between my strong sense of professional duty and commitment and my love of family. My faith helps me see the blessings in the midst of confusion. ”

With God, all things are possible - it's in the Bible. The word of God, the Bible, is a mentally, emotionally and spiritually healthy way to balance all personal, interpersonal, work-related, community responsibilities. It is a rock to stand on in this crazy world - a strength. ”

I can best describe my values as Christian values. Regardless of my circumstances, I cope by trusting in my God Jesus Christ to meet my needs or to show me the way. I manage to do a fairly good job of managing those things which I have control over. More importantly, I am thankful to have somewhere to turn when things go beyond my ability to control them - prayer. ”

From my own experience, without a vibrant faith in God and an awareness of His love for all people, I'm not sure I'd get out of bed in the morning. ”

The most important issues related to having a good balance are organization, planning and time management. This means planning meals a week in advance, laying out clothes the night before and spending as much evening time with young children as possible. ”

It helps if you can be scheduled ahead of time so you can plan, with your family, meals, chores and out of home activities. Sometimes that's not possible. Be positive - make do! Kraft dinner again! This is when restaurants, family, relatives and friends are a godsend. Have faith in yourself and others. ”

I've worked for 30 years - there are peaks and valleys in this balancing act. One of my favourite balancing solutions is to start each month off by writing in my daytimer all family scheduled events, adding going out for dinners and family-created events. Then I work around that schedule if and when extra work is required. ”

Achieving balance between work and family is an extremely important personal goal. It requires considerable cooperation and effort on the part of individuals within the family and in the workplace. It also requires daily sacrifices and trade-offs (e.g. reduced working hours = less pay and fewer discretionary purchases). One must be wholly committed to achieving the balance, or else one component will suffer. Personally, I have found that all parties must be a bit flexible at times, even if it is inconvenient. ”

Balance is a skill that needs to be taught and developed - it doesn't just happen. ”

Balance is a necessary part of life. It is up to you to manage it. The choices made have costs and benefits associated with them. It is something that always has to be kept in mind to ensure that no component is neglected for too long. ”

Know your goal and plan accordingly. Know your priority in life and what is important. Be considerate to others (do not be self-centred), but don't depend on others. Know how to trust yourself and know the limit of what you can do, and live by it. Know how much you can trust others. Be confident but not overbearing. ”

If your work or job is very important to you and of course your family is very, very important to you, then you learn to work things out and compromise. The things you can change, you should do your best to change them. Recognize that the things you cannot change or influence are not worth the time worrying about. It takes commitment, and as the expression goes, 'don't sweat the small stuff.' ”

Past generations dealt with family and work too. Is our society so changed that we can't deal with life any more? More people should just step back and analyze their lives before worrying about it. ”

Stress is not something you can measure, it truly is not. The same factors affecting two different individuals will do so differently. People are stressed in this world because they choose to let things bother them. The stuff they have no control over, don't waste time trying to control it. Put it in perspective. ”

I think often we look at the negative aspects instead of how lucky we are. But, by the same token, why shouldn't it keep getting better? ”

I don't stress out about daily life situations and I remember how fortunate I am to be healthy and safe. Most of all, you only live once and you need to strive for what you want and make the best of it. I don't want to regret anything I didn't do now when I am older. ”

Strong family ties and friends' relationships help my balance of life. Extra outside interests (volunteer work and evening classes) enhance my appreciation of my good fortune in life. The odd glass of a good Cabernet never hurts either! ”

Canadians are driven by the pathetic work ethic of working to live, living to work. There is more to life than this. Relax, take a siesta. Enjoy your life - more than two days out of it. ”

Take time to play, laugh, love, work, cry together and respect each other. We all make mistakes at home and work. Take time for your family, yourself, and smile. ”

Take one hour, one day at a time and enjoy it to the fullest and be very thankful for every moment of good health, for this is the greatest treasure of all. ”

Work in our society is part of your life. If you don't enjoy your work... ”

I think it's easier if you're working because you want to and not entirely because you have to. ”

My job is very stressful but it is also my passion and I find it extremely enjoyable and rewarding. I would not want to be doing anything else. My family and friends understand and appreciate the demands and the rewards of my job and they are all very supportive. ”

I feel it is very important that one enjoys/feels rewarded by the work one does during the day. If one is unhappy at work, their personal life suffers and their health is affected. ”

In today's busy world, I am fortunate to have a spouse that does many extras around the house as well as with our children. As he has a very flexible job, he does most of the housework and errands. I personally could not cope if I had to do most of everything. One main component for me for a healthy balance is a supportive spouse. Giving each other support and encouragement for self time is a big stress reliever. Knowing there is choice and support makes a world of difference in the perception of stress. ”

I feel that if you deal with stress effectively, i.e. exercising, you will be able to balance work, family and life. If you prioritize and schedule time for working out and exercising, you will improve your life and the life of others around you by maintaining a healthy and positive attitude and lifestyle. ”

I use physical exercises as a stress reliever. I run and work out at a gym five days a week. My running allows me to de stress prior to going home to my family. My spouse also works out and this helps him with his job as a firefighter and a childcare provider to our children. The physical action of running allows me to get my stress out and it gives me time to myself to think my problems through. ”

I feel people who exercise regularly are better able to handle stress. I get up at 5:00 a.m. to start my day by exercising, and it improves the quality of my day. I also believe in recognizing the need for leisure activities that you enjoy, feeling connected to the community, and having goals for the future. I generally enjoy my work and do not feel stressed. ”