Work life balance

1. Work-Life
Balance
• What it is
• What it is not
• How to have
more
Presented by Jenny Fleetwood
Work-Life Balance Coordinator
University Human Resources

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3. Today’s Objectives
1. Explore Work-life Balance
2. Assess your personal balance
3. Look at ways to make small but effective change
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4. Work-life Balance or Work-Family Conflict
- Work–life balance is a concept including proper prioritizing
between "work" (career and ambition) and
"lifestyle“(health, pleasure, leisure,family and spiritual
development/meditation)
• “A form of interrole conflict in which the role pressures from the
work and family domains are mutually incompatible in some
respect. That is, participation in the work (family) role is made
more difficult by virtue of participation in the family (work) role
(Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985, p. 7).
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5. Work-life Balance – What it is not
Work-life balance does not mean that there must be equal
balance across all aspects of an individual’s life
The optimum work-life balance will not remain static but will vary
over time
The best work-life balance will be different for each person.
There is no one size fits all in work-life balance
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6. Work-life Balance – Why are we talking about
this??
–60s-70s – WLB was mainly considered an issue for working
mothers, trying to balance the demands of their jobs with
raising children
–80s – Structural changes took place. For example, policies
and procedures, along with benefits were added/changed to
support WLB. Maternity leave, EAP’s, flextime, etc. Also in
the 80s, men began concerns around their own work-life
–90s – Really solidified WLB as an issue that was vital for
everyone (men, women, singles, couples, parents, non-
parents, etc.) Also generational studies began to show how
employees were making choices about their jobs based on
cultures of companies and their own work-life issues
–21st Century – More challenging than ever – work load
predicts other stressors
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8. Work-Life Balance – Why are we talking about
this??
• 72% of absenteeism is due to childcare related issues (US.
Dept of Labor)
• 40% of people caring for elders also have child care
responsibilities (Labor Project for Working Families, 2000)
• Of married couples with children, both are employed full
time 59% of the time(US Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2013)
• Almost two-thirds of American women (62 percent) with a
birth in the last year were in the labor force in 2008
(http://www.census.gov/)
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10. Where are you?
• Assess and learn
• Quiz
• Wheel
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11. Your wheel “results”
• Identify the two areas that you’re most satisfied.
• Identify the two areas that you’re least satisfied.
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12. Reflect on the two areas in which you are most
satisfied….
What do you need do to achieve a higher level of satisfaction in those
areas?
What would change for you if you became dissatisfied in those areas?
Think of a moment in your life when you felt completely balanced.
What exactly was happening? What were you doing and how were
others involved? How did you feel?
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13. Your responses:
What do you need to say no to in order to achieve more balance?
What do you need to say yes to in order to achieve more balance?
What will happen if you don’t say yes or not to these things?
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14. Symptoms of Unbalance…
Physical:
–Headaches, upset stomach, sleep disturbances,
changes in appetite, muscle tension, fatigue, heart
palpitations
Emotional:
–Depression, anxiety, irritability, difficulty making
decisions, angry outbursts, resentment, feelings of
powerlessness
Personal:
–Lost time with friends and loved ones, job burnout,
isolation – stopping social activities, relationship
loss/difficulties, self medicating
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15. What are YOUR Barriers to Balance??
1. Time
2. I should…
3. Feeling guilty
4. Climbing the “ladder”
5. Failure to set limits
6. Can’t say no
7. Comparing
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16. Strategies to Improve Balance
Understand some things are beyond your control to change
Take action to reduce or remove the stressor
Break problems down into smaller more manageable pieces
Take a time management course
Replace negative relationships with positive ones
Adopt self – care practices
Develop outside activities – hobbies, social events, education, etc
Seek advice from others
Commit to the notion that managing stress is a permanent and
ongoing activity
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17. Strategies to Improve Balance
Learn to say no
Leave work at work
Track your time
Identify options at work and take advantage of them
Bolster your support system or ASK FOR HELP
Know when to seek professional help (Contact IUEAP)
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18. Beliefs that keep us stuck
Suffering from stress is a weakness
Keeping stress to yourself is the best approach
Other people or situations are to blame for your stress and
imbalance
Cutting back or eliminating social, sporting, or personal interests
will restore balance
Believing that there is a single solution
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19. Back to basics
Breathe
Walk, move
Eat, drink, sleep
Plan an unplanned day
Do the unexpected
Connect with someone
you wouldn’t
Connect with someone
important to you
Play
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Ask for what you need
Laugh, giggle, chuckle, chortle
Enlist a balance team (massage
therapist, manicurist, spa, friend)
Leave town
Electronic fast
Slow down
Remember what is important
Disregard what is unimportant
Use your influence

20. Review…
WLB is your definition of how to be a harmoniously integrated whole
It’s an issue today because of how the nature of work and family have changed over time
You and your WLB will not be perfect, it’s a constant dance and takes work
Only you can set your priorities and boundaries to shape your life
Re-evaluate often
Pay attention to your indicators of stress (symptoms of unbalance)
Know your own barriers to balance – your unique tendencies (e.g. guilt)
Do something different
Ask for help
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21. Remember
• IU offers resources, your community offers resources to help.
• You have to ask for help.
• You have to make changes.
• No one can do it for you.
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22. Ask for help!
• Jenny Fleetwood
• jerfleet@iu.edu
• hr.iu.edu/worklife
• 812.855.7903
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