We’re all familiar with the term “work-life balance.” The desire to achieve this ideal is a popular topic – and ongoing quest – for millions of professionals, especially those in the healthcare industry. Many believe it’s impossible to achieve success in one arena without sacrificing something in the other. But perhaps we need to rethink the way we view this state of being, starting with the term itself.
Redefining Balance
The words “work-life balance” bring to mind distinct analogies. Perhaps we envision it as a see-saw that requires dividing our energy between two opposing platforms? Or a bank of daily activities that should be split evenly into different containers? By looking at “work” as one category and “life” as another, we create a distinct separation between the two. And as a result, this viewpoint can limit our ability to achieve holistic fulfillment. Rather than framing our pursuit for balance in a linear fashion, we can redefine the concept by thinking of it as a sphere, with us at the center. But how do we do that?
Multiply Your Well Being
The idea that life satisfaction affects job satisfaction and vice versa is not a new one. Countless studies on this subject have concluded that the two intermingle to inform our sense of overall well being. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has noted, “The reality is, if I am happy at home, I come into the office with tremendous energy. And if I am happy at work, I come home with tremendous energy.” This phenomenon underscores the impossibility of trying to confine our endeavors to separate corners. Instead, we can focus on giving our best to both our career and our personal life. This requires a mindset of embracing our job with sincerity and conviction and loving our home life with just as much enthusiasm. The result? Better overall well being.
Focus on Being Present
Those in the healthcare industry have an advantage when it comes to embracing their jobs with sincerity and conviction. One study found that over 90% of physicians identify their work as rewarding and believe it makes the world a better place. This mindset offers numerous benefits—being able to give 100% to both our work and our personal life depends on being completely present wherever we are. Rather than feeling guilty about not being at home, or feeling guilty about enjoying time off, we can choose to engage with the people around us fully, wherever we are. This includes our colleagues, coworkers, and patients at work, and our loved ones at home.
Cultivate Relationships
Being fully present and engaged with those around us, and deepening those relationships, takes effort. But investment in others begets deep bonds and feelings of closeness. The results of relational commitment will also extend to the projects and work we share with others. This is especially true for leaders, whose mindset and emotions set the tone for their teams. The conclusion of one wide-ranging study determined that “to be fully engaged, people need vision, meaning, purpose, and resonant relationships.”
Shall We Strive for Holistic Wellness?
While we may need to curate our list of responsibilities or the time we choose to devote to specific tasks, our personal and professional life experiences shouldn’t be considered opposite and unrelated entities. Instead, we can strive to maximize them both by being fully present and engaged, no matter what the activity is or who we’re with. This outlook can be the key to achieving a state of holistic wellness that benefits us as individuals, as well as the people around us. There is no balance, and there is no “work” and “life”; we all have one life that encompasses personal and professional responsibilities. It is up to us to live it to the fullest.
If your organization needs help recruiting providers who are committed to cultivating superior patient care and resonant relationships, contact Jordan Search Consultants at 866-750-7231 or email us. We understand the importance of building teams that are supportive and engaged, so that everyone – from providers to patients – benefit.
