The Work-Life Formula
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Blog
The pressure on young professionals to outperform their peers is intense and taking care of yourself is imperative.
Much has been made of the importance of ensuring that, in your efforts to build a successful career, you don’t forget about making time to nurture your personal life.
This is easier said than done, when there is immense pressure in today’s uber-competitive work culture to succeed. Advances in technology seem to accelerate the need to keep your eye on the ball and not let an opportunity pass you by. Some industries, in particular, can seem to be a hotbed of stress. Technology, media and marketing are the some of the fastest growing verticals across the world. Everyone from account executives to CMO’s can become overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to be done on a daily basis.
The concept of work/life balance is mistakenly thought to be just an issue for those who have been in the workplace for many years. More of an ‘older folks’ problem. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The pressure on young professionals to outperform their peers is quite intense. Taking care of yourself during this time is imperative.
Here are a few simple tips to keep your stress levels at an even keel:
Nourish your body – It’s no secret that a healthy diet is key to a strong body. It’s also important to keep your grey matter functioning at peak performance. Ditch the diet colas, processed food, fatty fast-food and overindulgence in sweets. No one will argue that eating right takes effort and discipline, but it pays off big time.
Get your ZZZZZZ’s – there’s no question that people who burn the candle at both ends are elevated to legend status in the workplace. We all know the guy who is out partying with clients until 4am and still rocks up fresh as a daisy for a 9am company meeting. Which is fine, and sometimes it’s required to meet company goals. But making this a regular occurrence leads to low attention span, diminished energy and increases the likelihood of a sloppy mistake in your work. Be sure to get your eight hours to be at your best.
Work it out – Keeping the blood and oxygen flowing in your veins brings untold health benefits. Besides ensuring that you are sharp as a tack, it helps to shed unwanted weight which improves your overall feeling of wellness. Short on time? Take the stairs, have a brisk walk at lunch and make sure you aren’t stationary for an extended period of time. There are even exercises you can do in your chair. Youtube is full of them.
Breathe - Sounds like a no-brainer, but often when we feel stress, our breathing becomes very shallow. This deprives the brain of oxygen and can lead to a full-blown anxiety attack. Take a few moments throughout the day to breathe in and out deeply, in counts of ten. Use your entire lung capacity, and you’ll feel the immediate benefits of reduced stress.
Down time – you get a certain amount of holiday and weekend time from your employer. Use it. Don’t feel the need to prove that you are the ultimate corporate soldier by working year-round and not taking time off. You’re not doing anyone a favour here. Many businesses disapprove of stockpiling holiday hours, and may insist you take them. Take the time to recharge your batteries. It makes you a better employee.
Follow your passion – Life is too short to spend most of your waking hours doing something you don’t love. There is a huge difference between a job and a career. If you are looking for the latter, seek out recruitment professionals that have your best interests at heart. Your ideal role is out there. Need help finding it? Get in touch with our career specialists today. We have dozens of job opportunities waiting for the ideal candidate.