Forget balance, the new buzzword in workplaces these days is work-life integration, an approach that creates more synergies between all the areas that define life such as work, family/home, personal well being, health and community.
Stewart Friedman, director of the Work/Life Integration Project at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, says that the idea that ‘work’ competes with ‘life’ ignores the more nuanced reality of our humanity.
Friedman believes the need is to better integrate all the different parts of our lives, 'which will ultimately make us feel happier and more fulfilled'.
The Gen X and Millennial workforce in India values work-life integration more than work-life separation, is open to digital workspaces, and is embracing flexi workstyles that 'enable them to be mobile professionals with a personalised way of how they work and live'.
Here is how you can create work-life integration.
* Every employee will have different life needs at different stages in their life and career.
Friedman has developed a simple writing exercise called the 'Four Circles', which is designed to help identify what matters most to you. For this, think of your life in terms of four domains - work, home, community and self – and create a 'four-way attention chart'. The goal is for every day to be a 'four-way win,' or fulfilling on all four levels. Here’s how you do it:
Work on your personal Four Circles picture. Together, the circles must equal 100 per cent so you can add or decrease the value of each circle depending on importance to you. Move each circle in relation to how compatible they are; closer and overlapping circles are more compatible than circles that don’t touch.
* Check if your company has any existing flexi-time policies in place. If they don't, set aside time to meet with your manager and make your case. Do your research - check if other companies in your industry offer flexibility as a standard option. If your manager still appears reluctant, suggest starting out with a trial run.
* The human body isn’t designed to sit and stare at a screen for eight straight hours so a little downtime is a must.
A research in 2012 at University of Tampere in Finland shows that taking a trip, especially if you head to a different environment, has solid brain benefits but that these benefits scatter quickly and need to be replenished often. So take your time off.
* It’s no wonder that work takes over your life. Unplugging will help you recharge and start afresh. Try staying away from work-related things from dinner till breakfast time.
* Aim to get your most important work done during the hours when you are at your most focused.
Most people tend to be either early birds or night owls, so paying attention to your body’s natural rhythms and patterns will help you make the most of your time.
* Prioritising your assignments and setting self-imposed deadlines will help. It’s not uncommon to focus on hours at work instead of results. But punching a time clock isn’t your contribution at work; focus instead on the value you create during the workday.
Courtesy: www.content.monsterindia.com
