Balance: The fourth principle

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Don’t kid yourself. Continuing to relentlessly grind toward your goals does not expedite the process tenfold. In fact, you're simply reducing your output over time.

Have you ever heard the story of the two lumberjacks?

Well, it’s pretty simple. Two lumberjacks would show up to work each day to begin chopping wood. However, at the end of each day, one of the lumberjacks would have significantly more wood chopped. This seized to change. Day by day the results remained the same. Feeling frustrated, the lumberjack who could not chop as quickly began to work longer hours, quit taking breaks, and skipped lunches. Yet at the end of the day, he still chopped less wood. This confused the lumberjack because each time he peered over, it seemed the other was sitting around.

Finally, he had enough. He walked over to the other lumberjack and asked what was the cause of his efficiency. The other answered, “It’s easy, each hour I take a break and sharpen my axe”.

How often do we fall victim to a similar mentality? We think that if we put in more time and effort and spend less time on other things, we will inevitably come out ahead, often at the expense of family, health, and hobbies. Although this may work for some, most people cannot maintain high levels of efficiency when they do not take ample time to rest and recover.

Having a balance of strenuous physical and mental activities can prolong our ability to produce results.

This applies heavily to the workforce. When employees do not feel a sense of work-life balance, negative effects may occur on their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. It will also cause burnout, decreased motivation, less productivity, and lower job satisfaction.

Encouraging balance in the workplace is crucial. It’s not about working less, it’s about working more efficiently. All while maintaining a healthy livelihood.

Is work-life balance prevalent today?

It’s no secret that our professions play a pivotal role in our lives. Our work takes the majority of our time, talents, energy, and perhaps personality. When the workday is through, we return home tired and possibly agitated. Depending on your career circumstance, a poor day at work may lead to the poor treatment of others outside of work. Very few of us have the ability to turn off our brains when it hits 5 o’clock. It is even possible that we never let go or disconnect from our workplace duties and responsibilities. This prohibits mental peace and the necessary rest needed to achieve our goals.

Research has shown that over 60% of employees have experienced negative side effects on their personal lives due to their work. This includes lack of development, poor home life, weakened motivation, and a decrease in physical health.

This is happening all around us. People tend to forget who they really are and see themselves for what they do (and all for the growth of someone else’s company). This can distort reality and purpose. How many people do you recall that have essentially sold their souls to their employer? This affects relationships to the core.

The source of being unable to achieve balance in the workplace differs from employee to employee. As seen in the graphic, major contributors may vary. However, a staggering 24.2% is due to company culture.

Although the idea of culture being a ‘living-breathing’ concept in the workplace seems odd, it is very real. And the lack thereof creates issues that may prevent a good business from ever becoming great.

Can balance be achieved?

Very few executives understand the importance of their employees feeling balanced.

Think of an athletics coach who wants their players to be in prime condition. Any smart coach would require their team to receive adequate rest for proper recovery. It would be necessary to obtain enough sleep, maintain a healthy diet, be mentally prepared, and have team chemistry off the field.

Constantly pushing the team through relentless games and practices would only wear them down. The coach would be lucky to have enough players by the end of the season.

High-performing corporate teams ought to be treated the same.

Encouraging balance in the workplace will lead to happier, healthier, and more productive teams. Here are a few strategies to adopt:

Remote work options → Allow employees to prove their performance and output while working remotely. This also allows the employee a fresh scenery and can manage personal responsibilities more effectively.

Encourage regular breaks → Just like the lumberjack, employees need to take breaks to sharpen their axes. Promoting regular breaks throughout the day helps prevent burnout and maintains productivity.

Promote time off → The guilt of using PTO needs to stop. Promote the use of vacation days and ensure employees feel supported in taking time off to recharge. Employees can also return with fresh ideas and perspectives.

Provide health and wellness programs → Be creative with this. Offering wellness programs, including mental health support, gym memberships, and stress management workshops, can improve overall employee well-being.

Foster a balanced culture → This starts from the top down. Creating a culture where work-life balance is valued and respected by management and peers encourages employees to prioritize their personal lives without fear of repercussions.

Offer childcare support → Providing onsite childcare or childcare subsidies can significantly reduce the stress for working parents. This is a major obstacle to parents balancing a family and a career. Consider free child care as a form of creative compensation.

Institute management training → Burnout can be tough to spot at times. Training managers to recognize signs of burnout and to support their teams in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

No one can expect all of these improvements at once. However, start small and implement change. Small building blocks add up.

Begin with yourself.

You can’t possibly cultivate a culture of balance in the workplace if you can’t practice it yourself. Analyze reasons that prohibit you from balance.

Start with one thing at a time and track your improvements.

I highly encourage you to read the book ‘Self-Care Mindset’ by Jeanette Bronee. The writing reflects on the importance of giving yourself breaks and prioritizing YOU.

Give yourself proper breaks in between your work to maintain output. Utilize your lunches to get offsite, go for a walk, and have a change of scenery.

When you are better rested, your performance increases. When you feel balance in life, you will also achieve greater levels of satisfaction. When you feel happier, you benefit and uplift the lives of others.

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