Attention: Business Owners, Executives and ManagersAre Working Long Hours And Getting Over-Stressed Slowly Killing You?Can you relate to this?
If you can relate to any of these symptoms, your work may be killing you! It is killing thousands of people just like you, every year.
In Japan, they have a word for this condition. They call it ‘karoshi'. It means death by overwork. Some 10,000 deaths a year are attributed to karoshi. That is a staggering figure. But this condition is a worldwide concern. Hi - my name is Bill Lee-Emery and I specialise in helping people like you manage their work life balance. DO YOU want to change your situation? Here are 11 Work Life Balance Solutions you can apply... starting today 1. Make it a priority to change. Let's get into more detail and take these one by one.
You know your time is valuable and that if you do not schedule something in your daily or weekly planner, then it probably will not happen. If you have not yet decided to make a consistent effort, perhaps you have not had enough of a health scare to make you change. Some years ago, a close friend had an angina attack. He had been married for a few years and they had a young daughter. He was in his early 30’s and being a parent of a young child had an effect. The angina attack had scared him enough to realise he was not superhuman and that he could face serious medical problems if he did not change what he was doing. It is too easy to think that our bodies can cope with an unrelenting schedule. Our egos like to think we are indestructible. They aren’t. In Japan, they have a word ‘karoshi’. It means death by overwork. Some 10,000 deaths a year are attributed to karoshi. More on karoshi later. If you do not make changing your habits a priority, think who will be affected. Do you have young children, a family, people who love and care for you? I do not know anyone who, on their deathbed, would wish for another extra day at the office, over spending time with loved ones. What about you?
2. Make a plan. You know the importance of a plan. It helps you to measure and chart actions and progress. Who are the other people you need to take into account to get your life back into shape? Family members, colleagues, your boss? Sit down with them either collectively or individually and gather the information you need so you can start to chart a healthier course.
Start with the needs of your family, spouse and children. Ask them what they expect of you and what they really value. If you are on a treadmill working to create the income to provide for your family and yet are not spending any time with them, something has to change or something will give. If your job is getting you down, look at your hours: researchers have found the increasing tendency to work back late may be making us sick. Researchers in the US surveyed 11,000 American employees, and found those working overtime were 61 per cent more likely to suffer a work-related injury or illness, compared to those clocking off on time. As mentioned above the Japanese have a word ‘karoshi’ – which means ‘death by overwork’. In Japan, many workers will succumb to long hours, high stress with no letup - and it will kill them. However, it seems it is not the hard work that kills; it is the continuous and relentless pressure without adequate recovery time that poses the danger According to anti-aging expert Prof. Avni Sali of Swinburne University in Melbourne, older Australians, especially those over 40, are in danger of being killed by the stresses of work. ‘Those over 40 have the strongest work ethic’ he said. And he adds that we work the longest hours in the developed world. Other patterns – too much eating, too much continuous stress, too little sleep, too much hostility, too little physical activity – can all lead to higher incidences of illness and even death. 3. Take your ‘core values’ into consideration. The more your actions are divergent from what is really important in your life, the more stressed and torn you become. ‘Values’ is a word that signifies the intangibles that are fundamentally important to you, like honesty, integrity, decency, and desire to make a difference in the world: these are they are very powerful motivators.
The following exercise can help you to find out what is really important to you and help you stay on track. Here’s what to do. Now divide it into segments according to how you use your time over an average week.
Let it represent how you spend your time for an average week. Be honest and as accurate as you can.
Next, on a separate piece of paper, list about 20 or more things that are important to you in life. Write quickly and without editing. As soon as you think of something important jot it down. There is no right or wrong. If you get stuck, here is a list to prompt you.
Next, number the values from 1 to 5, 1 being the most important. If your core values do show up, chances are you are having your pie and eating it also. Congratulations!
We have become so conditioned to multi-tasking that we have forgotten how to be ‘fully present’ and do just one thing at a time. Practice by finding simple things you do every day (cleaning your teeth, tying your shoelaces) and being fully present as you do it. The purpose has nothing to do with the activity; it is purely the practice of being present in the moment. This can then translate across behaviours and contexts. Meditation or relaxation exercises can certainly help and you can probably find classes in your local area.
5. Have ‘recovery’ strategies in place We can all run fast but how well can you recover your energy? Elite athletes plan recovery cycles into their intense training program. Over training is madness and they know it. Be smart. Learn to recover faster and more efficiently. Plan to put ‘recovery breaks’ into your daily or weekly routine. These can be anything from a 5 minute walk in the sunshine to weekend gardening. The 6 month program, Work Life Balance Solutions, one-on one coaching program I offer, highlights this idea. The idea of recovery strategies is crucial to maintaining good health. Yet it is easy to get caught up in the manic rush of business and forget what we need to do to stay balanced. Have you ever experienced making silly mistakes when you are tired and lack concentration? That can actually put you even more behind schedule. The tendency is to then work even harder with less physical, mental and emotional resources. That's just not smart! 6. Get your diet and exercise program organised. Physical stamina is not a luxury in today’s fast business world – it is a required element in high performance. Your mind and body cannot operate to its potential if you eat junk food and do not exercise. It is only a matter of time before you fall apart. Make an appointment to see the relevant health and exercise practitioners of your choice. And do it today! Exercise is essential to being healthy. Choose an activity you like and remember that regular exercise is better than a sudden burst of activity followed by long periods of inactivity. Sometimes a hobby (skiing/tennis/golf) can be combined with exercise. Leave the golf cart behind though.
7. Eat the right foods You have probably been bombarded with the message, ‘Eat more fruit and veggies’ and I have to agree with the sentiment. Too much processed foods will clog your system and give you little nutritional benefit, draining you of much needed vital energy. Certain fruits and vegetables contain powerful antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Go grab some organic broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, or make your own favourite fruit salad for breakfast. And as a reward for eating more fruits and veggies allow yourself a small treat of dark (organic) chocolate. It has some amazing health benefits as there are several bioactive compounds in chocolate that promote alertness, lessen pain and promote well-being. But remember dark chocolate only! Don’t be a ‘wolf’ when you eat. Practice ‘gentle eating’. Chewing your food slowly is part of the first stage of digestion. When we rush our food down, many nutrients are simply not processed elsewhere in the digestive system, so they remain unprocessed and unused. Put your knife and fork down between bites. Eating isn’t a race. We are in danger of becoming a nation of overfed and undernourished people! 8. Drink more water. When we are de-hydrated the first mental faculty to go is our ability to concentrate. Add 5 to 10 % of a natural fruit juice (i.e.. organic apple) to your water bottle. This helps the molecules of water to go directly to the cells of the body rather than make you go to the bathroom!
9. Learn to relax. Your mind is probably over worked and yet it needs rest as much as your body. Take a class locally – they are plentiful. Explore yoga or Tai Chi. You will work more productively as a result. Hey – ask your boss to pay for the classes! Here are some simple ideas to start you off. Note the word ‘invite’ rather than ‘tell’. Use a gentle smoothing internal voice. As one part of your body relaxes, slowly and gently move further downwards. Take off any demands to ‘do it properly’ rather experiment with the words and phrases that help you to relax. When you have reached the soles of you feet, imagine that any tightness or tension can easily flow out through the pores of the skin at the soles of your feet. Allow yourself to yawn. At this point, if you wish, allow your imagination to take to you some place from nature, real or imagined. Let it be the kind of day you find most relaxing. Take in the sights, sounds, smells and feelings of peace from this place. Invite nature to relax you in all ways, physically, mental and emotionally. Stay here for a while. Then when you are ready to return to the outside world, bring your awareness into the soles of your feet and imagine that you can absorb freshness and lightness from your peaceful scene. Let it move like osmosis, up your body, at the pace that perfectly suits you. Let it move upwards to your head and face. And, as you finish allowing your body to fill up with this light and fresh energy, gently open your eyes, take a slow deep breathe. Let yourself slowly come back into the room and go about your business, feeling relaxed and refreshed.
If you have difficulty sleeping you might enjoy this article 10. Get a hobby. If you are like thousands of busy, busy people, you may argue you just do not have time for a hobby. The point is it can provide you with valuable recovery time. Exercise at the same time with family or friends. Time completely absorbed into an activity totally unrelated to your workaday cares can do wonders for productivity. It gives your body and mind a well-deserved rest from your busyness. Find something that appeals to you. It could even be something you enjoyed as a child, but have been too busy to explore. Check out local adult colleges for suggestions of a class you could take. I joined a men’s singing group seven years ago and count it as one of my sacrosanct weekly activities. In short, lighten up. Don’t take life so seriously that you forget to laugh – yes, even at yourself. 11. Get support. The time of the Lone Ranger has gone. Talk to your family, friends and colleagues to help you with your new habits. Give them permission to turn off your computer at 6.00 pm and kick you out of the office. Get a coach. OK, I am biased because ‘work life balance’ is my passion and I run specialised programs to help people just like you. Regardless of whether you choose me or someone else to help, get a coach anyway. Why do things the hard way? Get the professional help that is so readily available. Last year I was speaking at a Conference on Work Life Balance issues. At the end of the program, one of the organisers privately expressed the wish that her husband could have heard the tips I had offered. ‘Well, it's not too late,' I replied, ‘you have the notes with you. Tell your husband what we covered.' Please take note of what has been discussed here and take ACTION. There are further information and tips I can share with you and you are welcome to join my coaching programs. I hope these ideas have been useful to you. Please contact me if you need further assistance. Kind regards
For more insider secrets, you can receive my Free e-Course by clicking here. You can also join the Work Life Balance Coaching Program. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
