Topic Tuesday #39 2013/04/16 - "Work Life Balance"

You may have heard the phrase "work life balance" from the internet, news, or propaganda given out at the top of the fiscal year by human resources. It's a great idea, on paper. In practice, in the real world, it generally falls flat on its face in the United States. There are many fascinating statistics about how Americans work more hours per year and generate less work than some of our peer nations. I won't go into them today, as I'm working towards a little more of that balance this week!
I'm headed on vacation with my spouse, alone, without the kids, for the first time since our honeymoon some 9 years ago. We've never been on a plane together in our 12 years together. It's going to be fun, no matter what we do since we will be together, and it is for nothing more than fun and companionship.
What I wanted to indicate is that although I am going to be a couple thousand miles away from work, I will still be in two places at once. I'll have my smart phone. I'll have my laptop. I'll invariably be called and emailed for work. I will invariably log in to take care of some emergency. This is the way it goes. People take calls on their vacation to chagrin of their partners and family. I know of very few that are capable of leaving work at work. I am in information technology, so my job and my own geek life have intermingled heavily. There's no clean extraction of me from work and vice versa. Sure we make efforts to divide, and normally this is just a poorly masked veil of time management. You can't clock out in your head when a deadline is approaching, or when your imagination pops up some exchange you have been mulling over for weeks. We are what we do. There is very little getting around this.

Can you hear me now?

Is this a problem? I would say more for some than others. Certain personality types thrive in this always connected environment with nothing but hustle and bustle. Others need to lead a more sedate existence filled with soothing sounds and incense.
Can there be a balance? Certainly, but it's not what you may think. I am not like my spouse. I can seemingly go on forever in the pattern of the hustle. They need to have a relaxation period that is much larger and more frequent than I. This does cause some stress all on its own. Let me straighten one thing out, I can't go flat out forever. I have brief spurts of "Me Time" where I do only what I want to do, and that is enough. I have a long commute that provides time for me to think, listen, and occasionally concoct notions for posts like this. I stay up later than anyone else in the house, and I am alone left to my own devices. This is all I need to renew myself. I liken it to using the cell phone while it's plugged in. It's doing its job while recharging.
I'm not alone in this and I see many people doing the same thing. Some are not as adapted to this always on existence and need longer periods of R&R to recharge the batteries. And that's ok, as long as they can get it!
Balance is not universal, so do what's right for you, and try not to drive your partner and family crazy in the process.

What are your plans for keeping sane? I'll check back next week. :-)