Creating the optimal work-life balance can be challenging for many. How does one actually create the best lifestyle and maintain good health mentally, physically and emotionally when the demands of every day life cause stress? According to CMHA, 58% of Canadians report overload in their life, including job, family, friends, volunteering, and community service.
If stressors are significant enough they begin to show up physically, mentally and spiritually in the form of burnout. This happens more often in women who work stressful jobs, are the primary care takers and are less likely to create self-care strategies.
According to Psychology Today, burnout is a state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment. It can create a myriad of physical symptoms such as chronic fatigue, insomnia, chest pain, heart issues, stomach problems and or headaches. It can also present in mental dysfunctions such as forgetfulness, impaired concentration or attention issues and depression or anxiety.
Are you running low or burning out?
Take this Burnout Self-Test by Mindtools.com to see where you stand —> CLICK HERE
Take this Work-Life Balance Quiz by the Canadian Mental Health Association —> CLICK HERE
No matter where you score on either of these quizzes, it’s important to evaluate your own health and make it a priority. As a matter of fact, making it the number 1 priority so that you can begin to flourish and take care of others and your job with more zest and less resentment.
3 Self-Care Strategies to Implement NOW
- Nourish your body with healthy food choices. Start with a great breakfast at home without the use of any electronics. Instead, play some nature type music with some piano and instruments, Dan Gibson has a series of nature music and it is fantastic way to start your day. CHECK OUT Dan Gibson in iTunes. Remember to take your lunch to the office with you, we compiled 5 top office lunches article here.
- Get out in nature. Take a walk during your lunch hour, go for a run, or join an outdoor group. When we get in touch with nature we begin to re-balance ourselves, feel better and reduce stress.
- Do what you love. We are specifically touching on activities that give you joy, maybe yoga, maybe weight lifting, art, drama. Anything that you get excited about and enjoy helps endorphin’s run through your body and makes stress become less and less. When we bog our minds and bodies down with stress in the workplace and or in life, we begin to create dis-ease.
BONUS: Begin a meditation practice. Just starting with 5-10 minutes per day is a great way to connect your body and mind together, and help reduce stress. If you think that you just can’t still you mind, that is ok, we know you can. Begin with guided meditation if you need. Or listen to some of the Dan Gibson’s music that begin to settle your mind. Once you start you will begin to see the difference it makes in many areas of life. Breathe.