There are numerous scientific studies on the benefits of relaxation, recreation and
meditation. And these benefits are both physical and emotional.
You can’t be ready to take on the issues in your family, support your spouse, parents,
siblings and children and your friends if you have no emotional stamina.
If you’ve spent all of your focus and attention on work and you find yourself so tired at
the end of the day that you don’t even want to talk to your family, you have a problem.
And your family may not wait around for you to resolve it!
The societal impact of ‘all work and no play’ has damaged and destroyed many a family
and the divorce rate continues to climb. Children grow up barely knowing their parents
because they are away at work all the time.
Family vacations are a thing of the past in many families. Vacations get postponed and
many employees find themselves losing their accrued vacation time because they have
‘rolled it over’ for so many years and just NOT taken the vacation they deserved.
Your emotional reserves are depleted. You have no patience with yourself or others.
You are short on sleep and even on time to think about what you want for dinner.
Is it any wonder that psychologists and psychiatrists are busier than ever?
Stress – We have talked about the health implications related to ‘all work and no play’
but stress is its own health factor. Even if you like your job, if you have no time for anything else, stress will get you eventually.
We’ll talk more about stress later and you’ll get some tips on how to eliminate or
mitigate stress so that your body and mind will be better able to handle whatever comes
your way.
For now, what you need to understand is that stress can affect your physical and
emotional health and that, over time, it can make you very sick. If you are not in a
position to change jobs or otherwise make a major change to relieve stress, learn how
to handle it better.
We’re not talking about taking five years of classes here. We are talking about simple
techniques you can use to help balance your life. Remember that work/life balance is not just a question of the hours you spend in one place or another. It is also a question of how balanced you feel and how you react to things.
No matter how much time you have with your family and friends, you will enjoy it more if
you are able to balance YOURSELF. If you can become less of a victim of stress and overwork and take control of your own reaction to stress, you will live longer and be happier at work and at home.
