Business Traveller suggests solutions to common travel problems. This month: getting your work-life balance right
“Not listening to people, becoming aggressive, losing your sense of humour and being socially withdrawn are all indications that the pressures of work are getting to you,” says Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University Management School. Sound familiar? Then read on.
Get personal
Designate time to your personal life in the same way as your career – otherwise it just disappears. “A couple of nights a week, make sure you leave work on time. Organise an event, such as taking your spouse out for dinner or seeing a film with a friend,” Cooper says. “This forces you to invest in important relationships.”
Consider trying the 30-day challenge (see Matt Cutts’ lecture, “Try something new for 30 days”, at ted.com). “Think of something you’ve always wanted to add to your life and try it for the next 30 days,” says Cutts, a Google software engineer. Whether it’s taking photographs, cycling to work or writing a book, commit to doing it every day, and when your 30 days are up, reflect on what you’ve achieved. “I learned [that] instead of months flying by forgotten, the time was more memorable,” says Cutts, who blogs about his series of 30-day challenges (mattcutts.com/blog).
Take care of your body
When we throw ourselves into work, we usually neglect our health and assume that we can keep going for as long as we need to. The result is that we run ourselves into the ground and don’t have the energy to enjoy our free time. Refuse to let your work routine compromise what your body needs – nutritious, regular meals, seven to eight hours of sleep, and exercise. Try to fit this in even when you are away on a trip.“Don’t have time to exercise for 30 minutes a day? Do three ten-minute bursts instead,” said Dr Mario Alonso Puig, a human intelligence lecturer, at Mélia Hotels and Resorts’ life management course in London in October 2011.
Consider workshifting
Contemplate whether you could work in a way that would allow you to get your life back. Perhaps it’s not always necessary to travel across the world for a meeting, or even to go into the office. Workshifting is a term that describes how people choose to work remotely to achieve a more productive day – it means they cut out the commute and manage their time more efficiently. This, in turn, enables them to spend more time with their families (see workshifting.com).
Software company Citrix (citrix.com) offers collaborative technology that can supplement face time at the office, reducing the need to be there as often. Its “Go to My PC” package (US$10 per month) allows remote users to access documents, applications and email on their Mac or PC office desktop, while “Go to Meeting” (US$49 per month) is a high-definition video-conferencing tool that allows you to show colleagues your monitor for demonstrations.
Turn off Technology
While technology can help to create flexible work options, it also has the potential to destroy your personal life. “Presenteeism is a term that describes coming to work early and staying late to show you’re committed. It’s common for ambitious people to do this, and to send emails from home at late hours and come into work when ill,” Cooper says. As technology evolves, presenteeism thrives. “Some 38 per cent of UK employees take business calls on holiday and 29 per cent have taken one while on the toilet or in the bathroom. What’s more, almost one in seven has picked up the work mobile while in bed with someone,” says Peter Gradwell, founder of Gradwell, an internet communications provider for small companies.
Don’t be a slave to your smartphone – make sure that “out of office” means out of bounds. “When I go on holiday I inform my key contacts and ask them not to expect me to take calls or answer emails. I give one colleague my login details to monitor for emergencies, which they can either deal with or contact me with,” says Gradwell.
Find time to do nothing
Tim Park’s latest book, Teach us to Sit Still: A Sceptic’s Search for Health and Healing (Harvill Secker, £13) tells of his ongoing battle with an undiagnosed medical condition: “Just when the medical profession had given up on me, and I on it, someone proposed a way out: ‘Sit still,’ they said, ‘and breathe.’” He recounts how his high-pressured lifestyle affected his body without him realising, and how it was only when he forced himself to relax through breathing exercises and meditation (see “Beautiful mind”, page 60) that he was able to find a solution. It’s an honest, contemplative read that highlights the importance of recognising the consequences of a hectic lifestyle, and taking action by doing less.
Stress busters
- Bring nature into your workspace – having a fish tank in your eyeline has been known to reduce stress.
- Cut back on caffeine – it increases your heart rate and makes you more susceptible to stress symptoms.
- Focus on one task at a time – this improves efficiency and prevents mistakes.
- Use your work breaks wisely – do something physically or mentally active so that you feel rewarded and renewed.
- Accept that stress-induced negativity is a physical reaction, not a reflection of your ability.
- Visit the International Stress Management Association website for more advice (isma.org.uk).
