By Mark Wehde
In many organizations, it is now almost impossible to disconnect from work during evenings, weekends, and even vacations. For many of us, this integration of our work and non-work selves has been positive, allowing us flexibility to do our work when it needs doing. But there is a dark side, evidenced by increasing rates of burn-out, depression, and the inability for some to ever truly disconnect. To navigate this world, and especially to maintain balance in our lives, there are some simple rules to apply.
Figure 1. Work Life Balance
- It doesn’t have to be perfect. Once it is good enough, there is generally no ROI on perfection. Those of us who tend to be perfectionists need to face the question, what is good enough? You can always do more; do one more thing to make something better. But when you aim for perfection, you don’t know where to draw the line. Asking yourself if it is good enough is as much art as science. If you force yourself to ask this question and STOP when it’s good enough, you will find yourself much more productive and you might just get a little bit of your day back.
- Our workdays never seem to end. We must unplug sometime during the day. Be present with your family. Set the phone aside at dinner or at your child’s soccer game. Have coffee—without your phone—and spend a few calm minutes as you begin your day.
- Exercise always seems negotiable. We are programed to believe we will always have our health—until we don’t. Exercise allows us time to recharge, it floods us with energy-building and mood enhancing endorphins, and it positions us for a long and healthy life. Set aside at least 30 minutes a day—I promise you will get more than 30 minutes back in increased productivity.
- Learn to say no and ruthlessly eliminate time-wasting activities. Seriously, we don’t have much time, so use it wisely. Really, do you need to watch yet another cat video?
- Take time to focus. Reply to your email at set times, so your day is not a series of constant interruptions. Block time at the start and end of every day. Plan your day in the morning and wrap up loose ends before you leave work.
It’s hard to make changes and make them stick. So put a plan together and make one or two changes at a time. We will likely always be busy. But it doesn’t have to always be overwhelmingly stressful.
About the Author
Mark Wehde is chair of the Mayo Clinic Division of Engineering, assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and fellow in the Mayo Clinic Academy of Educational Excellence. Mark is also the Medical Device Innovation Fellow at the University of Minnesota Technology Leadership Institute. He is on the board of governors for the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society and the IEEE Systems Council. Please contact him via https://cse.umn.edu/tli/mark-wehde or https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwehde/.
