It’s no secret our culture expects you to be a superstar at work — the ideal worker. This is part of the reason you feel overwhelmed and overworked. The #1 cost of a work-first culture? Stress. Hands down.

But it’s not your fault!

The American dream tells us to grow up, get a good job, and work hard. If we work hard enough, we’re told we’ll become a success. As a result, “US workers put in more hours on the job than the labor force of any other industrial nation,” writes The American Institute of Stress.

A work-first workplace measures employee success by workers who are:

  • The first to arrive, last to leave, and available on vacation.
  • In the office or online more (which puts seat time ahead of a focus on results).
  • Super busy (which is a sign of being in demand, confident, and ambitious).

In a work-first culture, society’s norms dictate that work should be everyone’s first priority, creating massive struggle and conflict between work and family. Reasons employees make work the top priority are real and legitimate such as the basic needs of income and health insurance. Believe me, I get it.

But equally compelling reasons exist to dismantle our work-first culture and redesign work and family so you and your partner have fulfilling careers while raising a happy and healthy family. Enough time and energy for you and your family — all without sacrificing wellbeing or career success.

Uncertainty and Lack of Power

No doubt, managers are stuck between a rock and a hard place! Technology blurs the boundaries between work and home, leading to more work with fewer resources as your employer sees your availability as 24/7.

You’re working so hard, but maybe just not breaking through. You’re driven but seriously concerned about the “collateral damage — wrecked relationships, financial ruin, social ridicule, unbearable stress,” writes Brendon Burchard in High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way. What’s the point of working so hard, though, if you’ve driven yourself into the ground? It might be easier — and healthier — to limit your ambition and play smaller to reduce stress and anxiety, right? (No!)

The most challenging days make you feel powerless and hopeless that things will get better anytime soon. You can reclaim control of your work + life on your terms — not subject to an outdated model of work. “The single largest cause of burnout is a lack of personal control on the job — expected to be the ideal worker with no life and free to satisfy the boss’s every whim,” writes Brigid Schulte in Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time.

Take Charge of Your Choices

Start by redesigning work and family. How? Use these 10 skills to rebalance work + life on your terms.

Reflect

  1. Know where you are and where you want to go.
  2. Gain insights when you dig deeper with thoughtful questions.
  3. Make choices for you and your family based on your core values and not others’ social media highlight reels.
  4. Ask yourself regularly if the life you’re living is the one you want.

Prioritize and Plan

  1. Stop trying to do too much because you end up accomplishing too little.
  2. Anticipate the future at work + home to prepare.
  3. Find win-win solutions to competing demands.
  4. Intentionally make choices so you can shift from reacting to proactively responding.

Manage Energy

  1. Spend and renew physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy.
  2. Work on the most challenging tasks when your energy is highest.
  3. Identify and eliminate energy drains.
  4. Schedule routine quiet time to plan, think, write, and complete other work that benefits from uninterrupted mental energy.

Build Strong Relationships with Reciprocity and Trust

  1. Build teams that interdependently support each other’s work and life.
  2. Use peers as sounding boards for problem-solving and support during challenging times.
  3. Ask for and offer help based on workflow.
  4. Include diverse thoughts and experiences in important decisions.

Set Boundaries

  1. Don’t overcommit and spread yourself too thin.
  2. Limit being connected to technology 24/7 without breaks.
  3. Say “no” to chronic overwork.
  4. Consistently state and protect your needs within the concerns of the team and organization.

Delegate with a Win-Win Perspective

  1. Execute mission critical work first before working on less important work.
  2. Focus on strategic work you’re uniquely qualified to do.
  3. Plan for an initial time investment for future payoff.
  4. Offer junior employees opportunities to step up and grow their skills.

Manage Expectations

  1. Communicate clearly and consistently from the start to reduce conflict.
  2. Define what successful performance looks like.
  3. Welcome feedback to enhance mutual understanding and prevent overpromising.
  4. Focus on doing the right work in the right amount of time.

Cultivate Personal and Professional Growth

  1. Continuously develop knowledge and skills to move to the next level or stage.
  2. Invest in lifelong learning through webinars, workshops, YouTube, online classes, books, etc. to reach your full potential.
  3. Proactively plan personal and professional growth to maintain full engagement in work + life.
  4. Try new or scary activities to find inspiration and motivation.

Exercise Self-Discipline

  1. Focus on the present moment and get work done despite distractions.
  2. Focus on your most important work, even if it isn’t your favorite work.
  3. Push through challenges to build resilience.
  4. Seek support and accountability if needed.

Experiment, Assess and Improve

  1. Embrace this process as a design tool for rebalancing work + life.
  2. Use a scientist mindset of curiosity, willingness to fail, and freedom from expectations or pressures.
  3. Get you out of your head to take action and get unstuck.
  4. Choose your next best step based on feedback.

Need Support Reinventing Work + Life?

If you:

  • Reduce stress and burnout
  • Navigate life’s next chapter grounded in your core values and strengths
  • Discover opportunities that match your workload capacity and goals
  • Achieve your dreams with courage and confidence

I’m your girl! Here’s how to use me as a sounding board:

  1. Email me to share your biggest challenge navigating work-life transitions.
  2. Get support to reinvent work + life regardless of your starting point.
  3. Feel more in control and empowered to work and live on your terms.

OR

  1. Schedule a free 20-minute call with me.
  2. Meet with me via Zoom.
  3. Get results so you navigate work-life transitions without sacrificing wellbeing.
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Use me as a sounding board to figure out how to solve your biggest work-life challenges.

You can email me at karen@rebalancewellbeing.com to let me know what’s keeping you up at night.

Or, schedule a free 20-minute consultation to help you feel supported, re-energized, and inspired to rebalance work + life on your terms.

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