Melinda Fouts, Ph.D., of Success Starts With You, author of Cognitive Enlightenment and awarded Top International Coach 2020 by the IAOTP.
getty
We all know the phrase "work-life balance," but what does it mean to you? When one of my clients was talking about looking for a position in a new company, I asked her what was important for her in considering a new opportunity. She said, "Work-life balance."
I pushed her to tell me what that meant to her, and her answer made me realize it is not the same for everyone. This client shared that she likes to work 10-hour days on Monday and Tuesday, take the day off on Wednesday and do what she loves, which clears her head, and then work two more 10-hour days on Thursday and Friday. This schedule allowed her to return to work on Thursday more productive, focused and efficient. Practically, her performance improved on the last two workdays. She also witnessed how her peers were burned out by Thursday and less productive at their tasks.
Long Or Short Breaks?
When you think about work-life balance and productivity at work, what does your specific work-life balance look like? Some of my clients are more focused early in the morning and less productive in the afternoon. In our exploration of what could make them more productive in the afternoon, many found working out during the lunch hour was the solution.
Work-life balance, when viewed in this manner, is not about the time ratio of work to personal life; it is more about enjoying work and being fully present when you are at work. The clients who work out or go for a lunchtime walk found the afternoon flew by quicker because of this physical break.
How many of you work through lunch feeling like you cannot afford to take the time because you have so much to do? I find that those clients who take a full hour at lunch and go do something physical can get more accomplished in the afternoon. In a Finnish study (subscription required) conducted years ago, it was found students learn better after taking a 15-minute recess after a 45-minute lesson. Can the same process be true for adults as well?
Let’s consider the quote from Albert Einstein: "I think 99 times and find nothing. I stop thinking, swim in silence, and the truth comes to me." I believe there is merit to this statement. Often, when my clients are stuck, I tell them to quit thinking about it and do something else, and the answer will come.
Another version of this is when a client has a question like, "What’s really important to me?" I tell them to hold on to the question and not go through the "tickler file" in their head. The tickler file is my term for our instinct to start trying to figure things out right away. When we ask ourselves a question, for instance, our mind starts going through all the possible answers, the "file" of information we have in our minds, but this file is limited. That is why we need to hold on to the question without trying to answer it. Not thinking about the answer usually reveals a never-before-thought-of answer.
Swimming In The Silence
Does the answer lie in the silence then? Could your work-life balance be found in meditation? More and more of my clients are finding a need to bring meditation into their lives.
When I begin a session with a client and they are pinging all over the place, we do a 60-second meditation of five long, slow, deep breaths. With each exhale, I suggest they let the stress flow down from their neck into their arms and out of their hands. Everyone tells me after we are finished that they cannot believe how much better and calmer they feel. If 60 seconds can accomplish these results, what could a five- or 10-minute meditation do?
If you are a beginner to meditation, I highly recommend starting with guided meditation. One of my favorite guides is davidji. He had a 20-year career in business and finance before leaving the corporate world and starting as an apprentice to Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon. He understands firsthand the stressors of corporate life and the need for work-life balance.
Final Thoughts
Taking time to "swim in the silence" or doing something physical during the workday can bring back your focus and creativity, not to mention increase performance in the last stretch of the day or week. Ram Dass has mentioned that being fully focused on an everyday activity is a form of meditation, so get out and play pickleball.
If you're not sure what specific activity you want to do, spend time swimming in the silence. You might find an answer to your personal work-life balance you would never have thought of before.
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
