Answer these questions and see how you are placed when it comes to your work- life balance
| SITUATION | TRUE | FALSE |
|---|---|---|
| I can’t remember the last time I finished a book purely for pleasure. | ||
| I can’t remember the last time I was able to find the time to take a day off to do something fun – something just for me. | ||
| I do what I do because so many people (children, partners, parents) depend on me for support. | ||
| I don’t have enough time to relax | ||
| I don’t have time to exercise at least three times a week | ||
| I drink more than 3 cups or shots of caffeinated drinks per day | ||
| I feel like I have little or no control over my work life | ||
| I find myself spending more and more time on work-related projects | ||
| I find myself worrying a lot about how I’ll get everything done | ||
| I frequently feel anxious or upset because of what is happening at work | ||
| I frequently have to deal with work emergencies when I am not there | ||
| I frequently think about work when I’m not working | ||
| I have frequent headaches and/or stomach aches | ||
| I have had to give up most of my hobbies | ||
| I never use all my allotted vacation days | ||
| I often feel exhausted – even early in the week | ||
| I often feel guilty because I can’t make time for everything I want to | ||
| I often feel I don’t have any time for myself — or for my family and friends. | ||
| I rarely enjoy hobbies or interests outside of work | ||
| I sleep less than 8 hours per night on a regular basis | ||
| I sometimes miss out on important family events because of work | ||
| I spend a lot of time responding to personal emails and phone calls when I am at work | ||
| I wish I had more time for some outside interests and hobbies, but I simply don’t. | ||
| I work more than 50 hours a week | ||
| It is hard to shift my focus of attention to the issue at hand | ||
| It is important to check my phone and email when I leave work | ||
| It sometimes feels as though I never even have a chance to catch my breath | ||
| It’s a struggle to get time off from work when I need to | ||
| It’s hard not to be irritable and lose my temper | ||
| My family is frequently upset with me about how much time I spend working | ||
| My life and work demands often interfere with each other | ||
| No matter what I do, it seems that often every minute of every day is always scheduled for something. | ||
| On most days, I feel overwhelmed and over-committed | ||
| Sometimes I feel as though I’ve lost sight of who I am and why I chose this job/career. | ||
| Usually, I work through my lunch break |
Mostly true: You are in serious danger of incurring a stress-related illness or injury, having a major personal problem or getting fired. You’re taking on too much and need to get more support either at work or at home, or both. Act now; even if you can sustain highly stressful situations for a period of time, over the long term, you could incur irreversible damage to your body, such as a heart attack, hypertension, ulcer, endometriosis or other stress-related conditions. You need to make significant changes to find your equilibrium.
Equally true and false: You may be at risk of burning the candle at both ends. Examine your commitments, responsibilities and level of control over your life. There may be one or two simple tweaks you can make to reduce work/life conflicts, or it might be that a more extensive change is necessary. In either case, consider ways to take care of yourself better to maintain your resilience and get through tough times. Remember- you are keeping things under control – but only barely. Now is the time to take action before you’re knocked off balance.
Mostly false: You have a good fit for work and life demands. You take care of yourself. You’re at low risk of burnout and are a good role model of work-life balance for others– now, make sure you protect it.
