Category Archives: Create Work-Life Balance

Client Jordan Asks: My job has become overwhelming. My work load keeps increasing, and I find myself working long hours to get everything done. How can I take control of the situation and get my life back?

Coach Joel Answers: It’s not uncommon for job responsibilities to grow over time, especially when economic conditions prevent the hiring of additional help. Instead of adding employees, organizations expect individual employees to take on more and more responsibilities. However, there is a limit to how much one person can do. You must learn to create boundaries, or you will become overwhelmed by the additional work.

Here are a few ways you can reduce both your work load and your stress levels.

1. Prioritize.

Focus on what’s most important and make sure high priority work gets done first. Also, make sure your priorities are consistent with those of your supervisor.

2. Schedule your … Continue reading How to Reduce Workload Stress (10 Ways) →

Client Rob Asks: The last time we talked, we discussed my urgent need to plan a vacation and I’ve been working on that. However, you also mentioned “unplugging,” getting completely away from my laptop, cell phone etc. I’m just not sure I can do that. Even though I’m on vacation, I owe it to my team to be available if an emergency comes up.

Coach Joel Answers: Rob, you have FOMO. It’s a common condition in our technological society. FOMO stands for “Fear of Missing Out.” It’s a real addiction, according to a recent article in World of Psychology. Their definition is: the fear of missing out on something or someone more interesting, exciting or better than what you’re currently doing.

FOMO is why teens text while driving, while having dinner with their parents, and probably while sleeping. Heaven forbid that a friend might be going … Continue reading FOMO Sufferer →

Ginger feels as though she is drowning in a tsunami. Her inbox is piled high with projects, some of which are way past due. Her email is full of unanswered questions and her text message “ding” is ringing in her ears about every 60 seconds. If she doesn’t do something soon, her work life is going to spin completely out of control. Not to mention she’s losing sleep and shortchanging personal relationships, just to keep her head above water.

Since she’s already heavily involved in market research, Ginger decides to use her extraordinary research skills to come up with a plan for stopping the impending disaster. After scanning a number of relevant books and articles, Ginger comes up with a four-point plan for minimizing her stress overload. Primarily, she realizes that she needs to start saying “no,” … Continue reading Burned Out? 4 Step Plan to Avoid Being Overwhelmed & Stressed →

Steven put in extra-long hours on the project at work. It was highly technical and exceptionally difficult. When he was done, his boss offered no praise and Steven found himself feeling totally underappreciated.

He felt upset and bitter. How could they not appreciate all the work he was doing? He fumed for a few days. Then he stopped to figure out how he could get back on even keel. He really liked the kind work he was doing. He needed to find ways to be happy again.

Steven started working on a list. What could he control?

1. Enjoyment of work.

Steven decided he could focus on his enjoyment of the work and the satisfaction it brought him. He could savor the tough solution to the problem and acknowledge that he did a great job. Even if others didn’t see it, it didn’t diminish his work.

2. Praise yourself.

Write … Continue reading 4 Ways to Stop Being Overworked and Underappreciated at Work →

Kathy asks: My job keeps demanding more and more of me. I’m passionate about my career, but I don’t want it to be my entire life. How can I find work/life balance?

Joel replies: Kathy, you’re in good company—countless employees in the U.S. are working long, hard hours. And that’s not necessarily good for their careers or companies. According to a survey by the Families and Work Institute, overworked employees are more likely to: – Be stressed and experience more symptoms of clinical depression. – Report that their health is poorer. – Neglect caring for themselves. – Make mistakes at work. – Feel angry at their employers for expecting them to do so much. – Resent coworkers who don’t work as hard as they do.

These work/life balance tips will help you enjoy a rewarding life outside of work, while finding greater job satisfaction as … Continue reading 6 Tips to Balance Your Work & Life →

Client Elias asks: I feel like my work performance is being compromised by stress. And carrying all that stress is exhausting—sooner or later, I feel like I’m just going to collapse. How can I start dealing with it?

Coach Joel answers: Elias, you’re not alone—work is a major cause of stress for 65% of Americans, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). And none of us should settle for feeling stressed at work all the time. A little surge of stress can be good—the kind that gets you in gear to meet a deadline—but chronic stress is debilitating.

Workplace stress can come from small, repeated annoyances, or it can stem from major issues with your job role or organizational culture. Many of us suffer from “rush syndrome,” the fear of slowing down. Sometimes we don’t even realize how stressed we’ve been until we … Continue reading Stress Reduction Techniques →

Vincent found himself obsessively scanning email when he was trying to focus on other tasks. Incoming communications were dominating his focus. Then he picked up a book on time management and realized how much time he was wasting.

Being constantly responsive to others’ questions is a huge energy drain, the author said. Most of us don’t truly multitask well, so if you’re constantly connected, you’re disrupting the task you were trying to focus on.

If, like Vincent, you’re staying too connected, consider these tips for unplugging from technology after work or even during the workday. You’ll become less stressed at work and will accomplish more on the job each day.

Understand Why It’s So Tough

To benefit from time away from tech, you need to understand why it can be hard to unplug. Sometimes we put much more weight on others’ needs than on our own. If we know an … Continue reading How (and Why) to Unplug from Technology →

“Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices.” ~Betsy Jacobson

Kathy Asks: My job keeps demanding more and more of me. I’m passionate about my career, but I don’t want it to be my entire life. How can I find work/life balance?

Joel Answers: Kathy, you’re in good company—countless employees in the U.S. are working long, hard hours. And that’s not necessarily good for their careers or companies. According to a survey by the Families and Work Institute, overworked employees are more likely to:

Be stressed and experience more symptoms of clinical depression. Report that their health is poor. Neglect caring for themselves. Make mistakes at work. Feel angry at their employers for expecting them to do so much. Resent coworkers who don’t work as hard as they do.

According to a study by the National Institutes of Health and … Continue reading 9 Tips to Achieve a Healthier Work Life Balance →

The spread of COVID-19 has brought dramatic changes upon workplaces around the world. Every day, I’ve been working with my coaching clients to help illuminate the best course of action. While I’ve been sharing a lot of advice on how to lead people remotely and engage in strategic planning, I can’t emphasize the importance of prioritizing your own wellbeing enough. Amid these changing times, all you can be certain of is yourself, and your own ability to respond to the challenges you face. All you can control is how you react to the situations you’re in. And that can make all the difference.

That’s the most pivotal piece of advice I can give my clients right now. Put your wellbeing front and center, and everything else will follow. The less stressed you are, the smarter you’ll think, as a recent Forbes article says, citing David Rock of … Continue reading 7 Quick and Easy Ways to Prioritize Your Mental Health →

Most people’s work/life balance is seriously out of whack. Hectic work schedules, increased responsibility, new technology, and the need to read and respond to growing quantities of email, voicemail, and text are just some of the things that place huge demands on your work life. This pressure may make you feel as if your work is a prison that you can never escape from as more and more keeps coming at you.

Many of us work in environments like this. Work comes from a lot of different sources, and you might be supporting many different people. You’re pulled in various directions without understanding how to cope with expectations from multiple leaders. It’s a lot to handle, and it may seem impossible to bring your work and life into balance. Just know that you are not alone. Many other executives and leaders face similar challenges.

Lack of work/life balance … Continue reading 9 Ways to Start Achieving Work/Life Balance Now →