WORK – LIFE BALANCE…
A Conversation
Miriam Lacher, MA, MRC, LMHC
THINKING GLOBALLY AND THE EFFECTS LOCALLY:
• A long war and threats of terrorism
• A widening chasm between the haves and have-nots
including health care
• Debates about the environment with some forecasts
of catastrophic consequences
• Fuel costs escalate, cost of living mirrors
• A time of unmatched technological advances with
questionable attention to humanistic parallels
• Is there an absence of balance in our world?
The emotional and cognitive results might be…
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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid
SelfActualization
Ego
(Esteem)
Social (Belonging)
Safety/Security
Physiological
Challenging projects, opportunities for
innovation and creativity, learning
and creating at a high level
Important projects, recognition from
others, prestige and status
Acceptance, be part of a group,
identification with a successful team
Physical safety, economic security,
freedom from threats
Physical survival needs: water, food,
sleep, warmth, exercise, etc.
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Six Dimensions of Self Toward
A Work-Life Balance
Physical – Behaviors or actions conducive to optimal
physical health
Emotional – The ability to recognize and share feelings;
to be self-accepting; to have an okayness with self,
inner peace and calm and serenity
Intellectual – The ability to think critically, an openness
to new ideas, willing to entertain a paradigm shift,
nurturing creativity, motivation and curiosity
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Six Dimensions of Self Toward
A Work-Life Balance
(cont’d)
Spiritual – A set of guiding principles, values, ethics and
morals which give meaning and purpose to life
(my connection to the universe)
Social – Relationships, communication with others, the
capacity for intimacy, a support network, reaching out
to others
Environmental – Creating a safe secure environment
free of threat or harm
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Harmony is the inner cadence of contentment we feel when the
melody of life is in tune. When somehow we’re able to strike the
right chord—to balance the expectations of our families and our
responsibilities in the world on the one hand with our inner needs
for spiritual growth and personal expression on the
other…Usually, when the distractions of daily life deplete our
energy, the first thing we eliminate is the thing we need the most:
quiet, reflective time. Time to dream, time to think, time to
contemplate what’s working and what’s not, so that we can make
changes for the better…Learn how to pause.
Sarah Ban Breathnach -“Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”
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The Journey to the Balance
• What roles do I play in my life?
• What do I expect of myself in each of these roles?
• What principles guide me in my aspirations?
• What is my passion in life?
• What are my strengths?
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If we know who we really are, what we want in
life, and how we want to lead our lives, we
have a very good chance of accomplishing
our aspirations. The articulation of who we
are, what we want in life, and how we want to
lead our lives can be called our
Personal Mission Statement.
And yours?
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Looking More Deeply at a Work-Life Balance:
Work-Life Balance is about taking control of the
conditions in one’s workplace as well as in
one’s personal life. This is accomplished
when an individual feels dually satisfied about
her/his personal life as well as her/his paid
occupation. There are mutual benefits to the
individual, the business (the Hospital) and the
society when the individual’s personal and
professional life is balanced.
And they are…, the benefits…
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POSSIBILITIES:
• PRIORITIZATION: List what you value the most;
- Are you mindful of the Six Dimensions?
- What really matters to you?
- What you want, not what you think they should be.
• CHOICES: Always with consequences
• BOUNDARIES: Where do you begin and I end?
• OVERCOME ENABLING: Fostering
actions/behaviors which perpetuate negative results
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POSSIBILITIES:
• FLEXIBILITY: Of self, of work
• COMMUNICATION: Direct without rancor
• EXPECTATIONS: How can I expect of you, when I
don’t attend to me; modeling
• WORK/LIFE BALANCE INITIATIVES: The policies, a
business culture/mind-set which contribute to a better
balance between the demands of the job and health
management of life outside work
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POSSIBILITIES :
• PROTECT YOUR PRIVATE TIME
• Attend to your life as the “whole”/the Gestalt.
If we lose sight of the entire of ourselves, we are
weakened by our narrowed vision
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