HOW TO MAINTAIN WORK-LIFE BALANCE?

ABSTRACT

The write up deals with the ways and means by which better work life balance can be maintained. It addresses the problems and prospects involved in work-life balance. There are four types of people in this world - Directors, Thinkers, Socializers and Relaters. It highlights the right strategy by dividing the 24 hours in a constructive and creative manner. The write up focused about the Gujarati culture of work life balance. It dwelt at length about the IT professionals in India vis-à-vis the caption. At the end it has come out with tools and techniques in ensuring effective and efficient work-life balance.

KEY WORDS:

Introduction, Four Types of People, Division of 24 Hours, Gujarati Culture, IT Sector in India, Tools for Better Work-Life Balance & Conclusion.

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“I arise in the morning torn between the desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day”, E.B.White.

INTRODUCTION:

Now days, every successful person undergoes a major problem in this world. That is how to manage his professional success with personal and social success and how to strike the right chord between his life and his work. Success is taking its toll. People are in the mad race to achieve anything and everything but at their own peril. They make a lot of money and create comforts but ultimately lose their mental peace.


FOUR TYPES OF PEOPLE:

There are four categories of people – Directors, Thinkers, Socializers and Relaters. The Directors’ type of people is task oriented and directs the things to be done and is highly energetic. They care least for sentiments and are hard core doers and push ahead despite odds. They achieve a lot in their life and unfortunately at the end there will be no one to celebrate their success as they rarely socialized with others and never made friends. They always remain alone right from the beginning to the end.

The second category of the people is Thinkers. This kind of people read a lot, has an eye for detail and always thinks a lot and is of less directorial tendencies and least of socializing skills. They tend to become philosophers, great thinkers in the world. They do not like to be disturbed and are comfortable in thinking alone always about their chosen field of life.

The third category of people is Socializers and is party animals. They are less of task oriented less of thinkers and take the roles and responsibilities lightly and think about always enjoying in moving in groups. They like to attend parties and make friends. They always take pleasure in moving with people and partying. The Richard Branson of Virginia group, UK is a party animal. He spends considerable amount of time in attending parties. Vijay Mallya of UB group in India is also a party animal and is a media savvy. He always likes to be focused and is always at the center of attraction.

The fourth category of people is Relaters and they are less of directorial, least of thinkers, average of socializing and predominant in networking and building relations.

Every individual has all the four dimensions of a personality and the quality or trait that is predominant is categorized. This analysis will definitely help people in managing work life balance keeping their tastes and temperaments in view.

DIVISION OF 24 HOURS:

God gifted 24 hours a day equally for all people. How to utilize the precious time is a million dollar question. An average individual spends 8 hours for sleeping, 8 hours for work and 8 hours for other routine and regular activities. There should not be any adjustment in sleeping time as body needs rest and to get recharged for the rest of the time. People spend lot of time from commuting from residence to work place and back. If efforts are made to keep the residence as close as to the work place, the time can be saved as well as the strain and stress can be minimized. The time so saved can be utilized either towards recreation or pursuing hobbies. John Wanamaker said, “People who can’t find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness”.

GUJARATI CULTURE:

Gujaratis in India work very hard and once in a week they have the culture to dine out. They do not mix business life with personal life and they are often successful in separating the both. The chunk of entrepreneurs has come from Gujarati community. They have flair for business and work with lot of dedication, discipline and determination. But once in a week they go outside with family and spend their personal and social life. Similarly most of them take periodical holidays from the work and enjoy their life.

IT SECTOR IN INDIA:

Information Technology (IT) sector in India is doing very good. There are more job opportunities due to the IT boom. Just after the completion of professional qualifications like B.Tech and MCA (engineering graduates and computer post graduates), the applicants are getting jobs. The pay and perks are encouraging. But the work life is highly complicated and highly demanding. There are many pulls and pressures during the work life. There are too many commitments and deadlines and there are too much of unpredictable peaks and troughs during the course of the working time. All these things make the work as a hectic activity and a strenuous one. Sitting in front the computer systems is leading to developing stiff neck problems, dry eyes, irritation, lack of interest towards sexual activities, back pains etc., It looks like having everything but losing so many things related to health and recreation.

However, there is a silver lining. The IT companies are realizing the perils of working long hours. It all looks that employees are contributing their best but when we look at qualitatively the results are poor. What is ultimately essential is the qualitative not quantitative productivity. So during the working hours itself a few companies are providing time to do meditation so that the employees can regain their lost energies and work energetically. Intermittently, breaks are provided to employees for recouping their energies. Weekend parties are conducted to take time off and to unwind and to recharge for the following working day. Periodically cultural programs are organized to make the employees happy and feel comfortable. It is at the functions the employees forget the discrimination in their ranks and cadres and also forget the differences, if any, in their work life and come under one platform in the name of cultural programs.

In the western countries and many other countries, there is 5 day week. People work very hard up to 5 days and take a weekend break and spend their personal and social life with ecstasy. We have come to the world to achieve something and to contribute something that does mean sacrificing our personal lives for the sake of professional life. No one should regret at the last leg of life for not having spent personal life satisfactorily. There should not be any regrets at the end of the life either not having spent personal, social or professional life.

TOOLS FOR BETTER WORK-LIFE BALANCE:

“If you are losing your leisure, look out; you may be losing your soul”, Logan P.Smith.

Efforts should be made not to mix up personal life with professional life. There should not be an encroachment. If personal life is paid more attention the professional life will get disturbed and as a result losing the job and income. On the other hand, if the professional life is paid more attention, the personal life is adversely affected resulting into higher stress levels. In this context, it is aptly said, “I have more to do than anyone else; I can’t possibly do everything during the day. I often end up taking work home with me”.

It is a well admitted fact that money is not everything. Money is essential for survival and for having comforts but too much emphasis on money is like losing so much for so little.

Plan and execute your tasks as per your schedule to avoid any stress. And also anticipate the probable problems that are likely to come up and may create tensions.

You must be in a position to discount any external threats that can not be expected but can be anticipated. Such things will divert the routine work thereby getting deviated. Apart from the routine tasks other tasks will pile up thereby deviating from the routine course of action resulting into stress and burn out. Internal threats can be expected and anticipated and those can be controlled and minimized easily.

Always look at the amount of investments that are put in and the probable returns that can be generated. When the returns are higher than the investments and that too when it does not affect our personal health then the work can be proceeded.

There is nothing like false prestige while undertaking the tasks as few males find it difficult to get out social stigmas like ‘I can’t do this’.

Flex time as a concept is widely applied in the corporate world. It allows the employees to work the stipulated hours either at a stretch or in a piecemeal manner. Especially when both the wife and husband are working the flextime helps in right division of work at home.

Daily, budget your time properly by allocating for personal life, professional life and social life. It is necessary to strictly demarcate all the activities as per schedule and follow accordingly.

Multitasking is the buzzword at the corporate world. But it is leading to so many complications and implications. Do not have all priorities at a time.

Cut down superfluous tasks. Prioritize and plan the tasks properly.

Find out the passionate areas and activities that interest you. And pursue the same up to the hilt. Since you are enjoying what you are doing you will not get stressed out.

Achievement and enjoyment are two sides of the same coin. Try to strike the right balance between the both so as to lead a smooth, successful and comfortable life.

Cultivate positive attitude, inculcate coping skills and pursue creative hobbies and interests to maintain the right balance between the work and life.

It is desirable to hit gym or for a walk to beat regular work related stress. Pursing hobbies like swimming, games and other activities regularly relieve stress and enthuse the individual with fresh energy. Going for meditation also helps.

Research reveals that “American workers average approximately ten paid holidays per year while British workers average twenty five holidays and German employees thirty. Americans work twelve weeks more a year in total hours than Europeans”. Enhancing paid holidays will help employees to be more secure financially. They can avail paid leaves and go for holidaying for unwinding. Many corporates provides paid leave once in a year with free traveling allowances to their employees.

Daily make a habit to spend a few minutes in a serene and silent place by closing your eyes. In this scenario, you neither hear anything nor do you see anything. As a result, you can immediately consolidate and create fresh energies.

CONCLUSION:


Life is very short and let us make it sweet. Striking the right balance amongst the personal life, professional life and social life is essential. To sum up in the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “When you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all”.



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