Work - Life Balance

1. Dan Cummings, LCSW he*him*his Counseling and Testing Services z Work-Life Balance

2. Objectives • To understand what work life balance really means • To understand consequences when imbalance occurs • Identify at least 1 way to encourage balance in others you work with or supervise • Identify 3 ways to improve your own balance and care

3. z Defined “n. A state of equilibrium in which the demands of both a person’s job and personal life are equal” https://wordspy.com/index.php?word=work-life-balance

4. Integration of YOUR self care into your work

5. z Work Life Balance (re) defined

6. Potential Signs and Symptoms of Burn out Behavioral/Professional Changes: Tardiness and absenteeism Being critical of others Being sarcastic and cynical Spending less time with colleagues Making professional errors Decrease in quality of paperwork and reports Being less respectful of clientele (students)

7. Consequences of burnout for you? • Excessive stress • Fatigue • Insomnia • A negative spillover into personal relationships or home life • Depression • Anxiety • Alcohol or substance abuse • Heart disease • High cholesterol • Type 2 diabetes, especially in women • Stroke • Obesity • Vulnerability to illnesses $125 billion to $190 billion a year in healthcare spending in the US

8. Potential Signs and Symptoms continued… Emotional/Psychological Changes Apathy Hopelessness Frustration Concentration Difficulties Anxiety Alienation Depression Isolation Irritability Doubting one’s values or beliefs

9. Potential Signs and Symptoms continued… Physical Changes Rapid Pulse Fatigue Weakness and Dizziness Weight Changes Insomnia or Increased Sleep Reduced Resistance to Infection Memory Problems Gastrointestinal Complaints

10. WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?

11. Mind Body Connection… Stress Response https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9f/8c/05/9f8c059025375bd62590249af49e0651.jpg Yerkes Dodson

12. “Let’s Acknowledge…” • The challenging and often thankless work you do everyday • The “Cost of Caring” and the reality of finite personal resources • The % of time you spend working is high • That most of our work environments are just “not there yet” and that balancing self-care and everything else is challenging • That not everything will “fit” for you and that this is a highly individualized process • That for some of us this may be harder (but very possible) due to many factors such as experiences of: • multiple traumas • oppression • disabilities

13. Taking care of you at work • Self care • Managing stress • Working efficiently • Happier More fulfilled days for you

14. Work Skill Sets • Delegation skills: • Communication • Giving Feedback • Time Management • Training work tasks • Establishing Trust

15. Find YOUR happy • Positive psychology research on happiness… • The Happiness Advantage (Sean Achor) • Happy people are productive people! • More optimal brain function when happy than when negative, neutral or stressed • Focus on strengths (VIA, strengths quest, etc.) • Set clear goals  • Understand YOUR values & dreams

16. Group Activity • Pick a Partner • Talk through what keeps you from engaging in self-care; balance

17. Biggest Barriers FEELS SELF INDULGENT UNPRODUCTIVE NEED TO PLACE OTHERS NEEDS BEFORE MINE NOT THINKING ABOUT IT MONEY TIME TOO TIRED WORK PERCEPTION OF NOT DOING ENOUGH AT WORK

18. z Find YOUR healthy

19. Ways work place can support • Flexible Schedules • PTO  • Professional/Personal Development opportunities • Social Connection opportunities • Mental well being • Physical Health (nutrition and exercise) • Financial wellness

20. Perspective on Time! • The way you view your time • Encourage your staff/give permission • Support time off • Use your vacation time • Use you comp/flex hours • 5 min 5x a day

21. Group Activity • Pick a Partner • Discuss some strategies that you might encourage in your work space

22. THAT MEANS YOU PEOPLE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET IN THIS ORGANIZATION

23. Mind Body Connection • Amy Cuddy, Ph.D., Social Psychologist • https://youtu.be/r7dWsJ-mEyI • “Fake it till you become it.”

24. The Doubler(Achor, 2010) • For 2 minutes per day think of one positive experience that happened in last 24 hours • Bullet point every sight, sound, smell, taste, feeling • Brain can’t differentiate between visualization and actual experience so you have just doubled the positive experience! • Study showing you can drop your pain medication by 50 %.

25. Use your brain: Myth of Multi-tasking • Neruro scientists know that multi-tasking doesn't exist • Quick task switching exists • Too much "multi-tasking" can create patterns similar to that of ADHD when it comes to focus and concentration • *TRY 20 minutes a day of deep thought into 1 single topic/subject

26. What Went Well Exercise3 New Gratitudes for 21 consecutive days (Emmons & McCullough 2003)

27. Group Exercise • Pick a partner • Think of a memory or story that has always made you laugh • Share it with someone you think will appreciate it most What emotions did you feel while re-telling this story? Re-energizes us and buffers stress

28. Danself-care Outside of Work • Crafting • Playing video games • Time with family • Bike riding • Reading At Work • Compassion for my “failures” • Protecting Schedule • Work outside the office when possible • Mindful breaths in between meetings • Consultation and sharing with colleagues

29. YOUR self-care(WRITE IT DOWN) Outside of Work At Work

30. THANK YOU!