Work/Life Balance and You: Taking the Oxymoron OUT of Social Work!

Work/Life Balance and You: Taking the Oxymoron OUT of Social Work!

• 1.
  Work/Life Balance andYou: Taking the Oxymoron OUT of Social Work! Aaron M. Swart, BS, MSW
• 2.
  VIDEO • Can anyof you identify with Adam Sandler? • How about Adam’s partner in the movie? His kids? • Does YOUR life feel out of control? • Wish you could “CLICK” the remote and make some changes?
• 3.
  Goals For OurTime Together… • Understand that our own work/life balance or lack thereof affects everything we do and impacts everyone we relate to • Utilize what we already know to help ourselves achieve more balance in our lives • Reconnect with what’s important to each of us by initiating our own work/life plan
• 4.
  Work/Life Balance: WhatIS that? (Wikipedia): Work-life balance is a broad concept including proper prioritizing between career and ambition on one hand, compared with pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development on the other. Can this be achieved?
• 5.
  Survey Says… According toa national public opinion poll conducted by the American Psychological Association, two-thirds of both men and women say work has a significant impact on their stress level, and one in four has called in sick or taken a “mental health day” as a result of work stress. Also a significant concern for employers, job stress is estimated to cost U.S. industry $300 billion a year in absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover and direct medical, legal and insurance fees. Source: http://www.phwa.org/resources/creatingahealthyworkplace/
• 6.
  Work or Life…thatis the question! • HOW DO WE CHOOSE WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT?
• 7.
  Where Are YouRight Now? © 2002 Worklifebalance.com, Inc. Source: http://www.worklifebalance.com/assets/pdfs/casestudy.pdf
• 8.
  Gut Check… • Health/physical-emotional-mental-spiritual fitness- what’s important to you? • Time Management Preferences? • What’s the Big Picture? Adapted from: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Work-Life/1806/How-to-Create-Your-Personal-Work-Life-Balance-Plan.html
• 9.
  How Does YourDay Begin? • What are the messages we tell our clients each day? • What are the messages we tell ourselves each day?
• 10.
  Things We AskOur Clients… • What do YOU want? • What are your strengths? • What resources do you have currently? • What are your challenges? • How can I help you reach your goal? • How realistic do you think this is…? • What is your reasoning behind (you name it)…?
• 11.
  Things We MayTell Ourselves… My Clients Need ME! No One Else Will Do It Like I Can! My Dreams Can Wait…
• 12.
  Paradigm Shift… • Whatif we took time to do for ourselves what we may already be doing for our clients? • What would that look like for each of us? Guilt? Natural? ~What we’re used to we re-create…
• 13.
  Be Intentional…Self-Advocate! • A willingness to do something differently • Counting the costs of NOT creating a plan • Accountability • Endurance!
• 14.
  Seen these before? •What is MY Long-Range Outcome? (Ensure that this is an outcome desired by the individual, and not a goal belonging to others.) • Where am I now in relation to MY outcomes? • What is/are my Short Range Goal(s)? • What Supports/Interventions will help me to reach my goals? • What is working best in my life right now? • What is NOT working in my life right now? • My Health/Behavioral Concerns? • My Barriers to Success? Questions adapted from: http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/MHDDSAS/pcp.htm
• 15.
  The PCP: AWork/Life Tool! 1). Use Slides 14, 16, and 17 to guide you as you create your plan (I’ll go over these): a. Answer three questions for yourself on slide #12. YOU pick! b. Peruse items from slide # 13 as you go, and c. Incorporate ideas from slide #14 that fit you the best!) Questions adapted from: http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/MHDDSAS/pcp.htm
• 16.
  Tips While CreatingYour Plan… • Give yourself time to brainstorm; write down your goals • Keep your goals highly visible (at work and home) • Let others know you are serious; recruit positive influences • Make sure that you give yourself and others time to adjust to goals • Allow the process to unfold; keep short accounts of progress
• 17.
  Be Proactive vs.Reactive! • Go for a walk. • Light scented candles • Spend time in nature. • Savor a warm cup of • Call a good friend. coffee or tea. • Sweat out tension • Play with a pet. with a good workout. • Work in your garden. • Write in your journal. • Get a massage. • Take a long bath. • Curl up with a good book. • Listen to music. • Watch a comedy. Adapted from: http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm
• 18.
  Deliberate Self-Care StrivesTo… • Seek balance. • Combine detachment with doing our part. • Balance giving with receiving. • Alternate work with play, business with personal activities. • Balance tending to our spiritual needs with tending to our other needs. • Juggle responsibilities to others with responsibilities to ourselves. • Balance caring about others with caring about ourselves. “Whenever possible, let's be good to others, but be good to ourselves, too.” -Melody Beattie • Source: Beattie, M. (1990). The language of letting go. New York: Harper Collins, p. 84.
• 19.
  Work/Life Web Resources •http://www.helpguide.org This site is a comprehensive, non-profit balance site dealing with myriad topics such as mental health, relationships, and anger management at any age. • http://www.mayoclinic.com/ The Mayo Clinic has a section of their website dedicated to Work/Life balance as it relates to physical health and stressors! • http://www.livestrong.com/ Inspired by Lance Armstrong, this site is full of ideas, inspiration, and blogs to help you reach your goals