Work-Life Balance: Time To Take Another Look?

Work-Life Balance: Is This A Problem For You?

Work-Life Balance
Unbalanced scales

If you are like most North Americans, you may very well have an ongoing problem with work-life balance.

I would go so far as to say, that this is probably one of the biggest problems for us in the entire Western world!

Here in Canada, here is what the Canadian Mental Health Association has to say on the topic:

Work-Life Balance: Make It Your Business

If you’re finding it difficult to balance the different elements of your life, you’re not alone. 58% of Canadians report “overload” associated with their many roles – work, home and family, friends, physical health, volunteer and community service.

The Problem May Be In The Definition

Not to fault the Canadian Mental Health Association, but to suggest that one make “work-life balance” their “business” seems to be part and parcel of the problem.

To place “work” ahead of all other areas in one’s life is to begin to understand the nature of the problem that we face I believe.  In CMHA’s list of priorities, physical health is listed in 4th place.

Is it no wonder then, that if we also place such a low value on our physical health, that our life energy and balance will likely suffer?

 

He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.

Thomas Carlyle

The Real Solution: Health?

As Thomas Carlyle so eloquently states, from “health” everything is possible.

What a different world this could be if we truly put “health” as our number one priority.

  • Healthy bodies
  • Healthy minds
  • Healthy emotions
  • Healthy environment
  • Healthy political system
  • Healthy food system
  • Healthy businesses and marketplace

What A Healthy World Would Look Like

For starters, the thought of polluting our environment would perhaps not even occur to us, because we would realize that a healthy body and mind depended upon a healthy place to live in.

We wouldn’t put damaging our environment and threatening the future of our children and grandchildren ahead of progress and making profits.

The environment would be so valued, as the place where we live and make our home and needed for our healthy sustenance that we would avoid and discourage any venture that would seek to harm or destroy our collective home.

As the saying goes….

We all live downstream!

And yet, apparently the Fukushima nuclear energy plant was restarted a few weeks ago! And in the news, this passed by as a mere footnote.

To think that the world sits idly by as several nuclear reactors get re-activated in a known earthquake and tsunami zone!

Is this a case of “don’t draw attention to my pollution and I won’t draw attention to yours?”

That kind of mentality can’t work anymore.

The world is not big enough to handle ALL of our pollution.

We have gotten so good at polluting, that we are now able to pollute nearly entire oceans! Quite a feat for mankind.

Time To Put Life Into Its Proper Place

When the sacredness of life becomes valued.

When our health is most treasured.

When wholeness of body, mind, emotions AND spirit come above all else.

Then we won’t be talking about such things as “work-life balance”.

We will be “living” life in balance.

 

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About Ron Lafleur

I am a counsellor in private practice specializing in couples therapy.

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