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The Work-Life Equation

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"  The answers ranged from 20g to 500g.  The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.  It depends on how long you try to hold it." 

"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.  If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.  If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.  In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management.  If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.  As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.  When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."


"So, before you return home from your job, put the burden of work down.  Don't carry it home.  You can pick it up tomorrow.  Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.  Relax.  Pick them up later after you've rested.  Life is short.  Enjoy it!"

1)       Establish Your Own Healthy Boundaries:  dedicate specific times each day to check email instead of checking it all day long;  learn to delegate; give yourself space & time to think through problems clearly; consider different perspectives before responding to a given situation; set your own departure hour & create a “leaving work” routine; give yourself plenty of time to decompress when you get home from work
2)       Focus On Your “Personal” Life: take time to be alone and reflect during the day; schedule quality time with those you care about; express gratitude for the things you have; praise others throughout the day; take time to acknowledge each of your accomplishments before immediately moving on to the next challenge; surround yourself with reminders of what’s important to you; pep up a dreary office with plants & color
3)       Consider Your Physical Fitness: fit some form of exercise into your day; pause frequently during the day to notice your body; ask yourself  “where am I stiff or sore?” and then take a few moments to stretch those parts; ask yourself “how am I breathing?” and then take a deep “belly” breath, relaxing your neck & shoulders; drink plenty of water; don’t skip meals; eat snacks as you need to keep up your energy
4)       Fit Relaxation Time Into Your Day:  close your eyes, use your imagination, and take a little mini-vacation; buy a finger labyrinth (or try the one I’m including with this letter) and trace it several times a day; get outdoors and get some sunshine & fresh air; make a quick stop before heading home to “smell the roses” or simply close your eyes and visualize your homecoming