About Balance

“Stitched my wins, I found a way out”
- Wings by Lisa Heller

I have come to realise how easy it can be for someone to feel blue when a new year starts, particularly from a professional standpoint. From my experience, I have spent the last four months of 2022 working tirelessly to close the books and get everything done by January 1st. It is a common phenomenon within the industry. Therefore, longer hours are in order, a more strict discipline is required to make it through on time without breaking down before the deadline. Having gone through that phase twice already, it is safe to say that I am now able to identify the most suited approach to my way of work. How to decompress after work, best routine in terms of coming into and leaving the office.

As we get nearer to that famous deadline, it only makes sense that the intensity of our work grows and becomes more insignificant in terms of analysis and negotiations. The necessity of paying even more attention to one’s health and energy management is so vital if you do not wish to choke when you can even smell the finish line. After going through this entire rollercoaster for a third of the calendar year, the finish line is finally crossed. Everything is done. The physical weight of that workload has been dealt with, yet the entire feeling of being under constant pressure will require more time.

Unfortunately, it is not like flicking a switch that the entire scenery will change and that we will feel relaxed in our own skin. After all, that is why most people would take a week-long vacation at the very least once in the first two months of 2023. Well, one week of vacation at the very least. And rightfully so.

It is similar to going on a long distance run, where every step is more intense and painful than the previous one. We keep pushing ourselves to exhaustion in order to reach that strongly awaited and desired finish line. We do our best to get there and when we do, we cannot immediately get on with our lives as if nothing just happened. Think about it: your legs are shaking, your heart is still racing, your face is sweating, your head is bound for explosion. If you go back to life without taking the time to breathe and cool down, the effort you just went through will flip on you and cause more problems to your health. This is why controlled breathing, proper stretching and rehydration are required in order to regulate our body and help it transition into a calmer state in which it can reassess the situation.

The same approach should be used when it comes to work. Just like any athlete needs to listen to their body when pain is expressed in muscles and bones, any worker needs to listen to their mind and body during and after a stressful period. Unless you plan to head first into a burnout.

“I am blessed to be alive
Everything is fine, I am looking on the brighter side”
- Brighter Side by The Satellite Station

Discipline is necessary in different aspects of life and is often associated with the dedication needed when it comes to achieving goals and succeeding. Then again, discipline is also required when we need to slow down and take a break in a progressive manner. By implementing a healthy routine and sticking to it on a frequent basis, it becomes easier to manage the stress we encounter at work and in life. Healthy habits like travelling, working out, cooking, listening to music, talking to friends and people you trust.

Work-related stress is like a drug. At first, we are not quite aware of the dangerous effects it could have on our lives and rather perceive it as the fuel to help us push forward. After a while, it starts taking its toll, making us go through a downward spiral. By the time we realise what is actually happening to us, it might be too late.

Do not let yourself get to that point.
Focus on your healthy routines.
Reevaluate your life and the way you are living every once in a while.
Take a few steps back and listen.

“I am begging you please to hang on
Hold your head up high”
- Hold Your Head Up High by Oh The Larceny