I have been asked of late to speak at a few wellness/education events, in particular on the subject of 'work-life balance', a topic I hold dear but a term I am trying to more functionally redefine.
Interestingly enough, I sat down last week with a member of my business team and discussed the idea of keeping a corporate Choose to Stay Well blog and a separate personal, Scott Tate blog and in the same 24 hours met with a client who encouraged me to bridge the gap and give people access to the 'whole story' in an almost autobiographical sense. What is this balance then between personal and professional?
First, it is problematic that we seek a work-life balance and even a mind-body balance, they are both integral and essentially one and the same. That said, there is no doubt that a balance must be struck in life and that our evaluation and definition of work and life, like mind and body, needs to be restructured and made actionable.
Second, our culture to date has not created a strong backbone to value our human health as essential and fundamental to our societal and cultural success and happiness. That said it comes to each of us to individually reconnect with this mind:body as one entity and experiment with ways to turn it on.
Life is work. Life is stress. The choices we make however with the way we choose to use this mind:body by thinking, eating, drinking, moving and exposing it to different environments is how we can find a more functional balance.
Choosing to stay well is truly choosing to step back, find a trustworthy team and find an internal balance first to right your ship then take a good honest look at the course you are on and find ways to avoid the troubled waters and enjoy the voyage on a smooth sailing vessel with you confidently at the helm.
There is no professional without personal so take pride in you. There is no work-life balance without a balanced mind:body.
Choose to take control. Choose to stay well.