Maintaining a balance

Regardless how much our family means to us or how seriously we take our jobs there is need for us to take into cognizance that each of this is an independent part of our life and should rub other spheres that makes us, us.

“To have a fulfilling life and achieve success in all we do, we need to strike a balance,” said Mr. Ose Aigbe.

The artist explained that to have a balanced life means being able to do everything we need to do with any one overriding the other. “It means being able to work, play and rest without any one compromising the other. If we are able to get this right then, we can be sure of a positive and happy life.”

For Etsesomi Musa, it takes a deliberate and extra effort to strike a balance with work, family and social activities. “It is very easy to allow your work life take over everything about you,” she said.

“I’m a banker, from Monday to Friday, and I do nothing, except work. Being a marketer your work doesn’t end with work hours, it goes on for more. Even when you go out in the name of socialising you are actually looking for business; even on weekends that are supposedly work free days. Even in church I am looking for clients. It makes it impossible to do anything else but work. And for many banks that tell you to live and breath the bank, really that is what your life is about.

“What helps is that when I take a holiday, I shut off completely and actually holiday. At other times, I insist on giving myself some break when it is not work hours rather than do over time.”

Kazim Adesina says he is very guilty but trying to make amends. “It was very plausible as a parent whose job is normally preoccupied with a lot of work which on many occasions are finished off at home to have difficulty drawing the line.”

The economic consultant said, “Although I have left work, my mindset is still that of the office not my home. So rather than relax, I find myself being tensed up and eager to finish the work I brought home. I know it shouldn’t be the case because I notice that it affects my relation with my wife and children; especially my children.”

Adesina adds that, “As a parent I know that I must have a boundary when it comes to my work and my family especially as my kids are still very young. With the kind of demanding and challenging work I do, it comes with a lot of pressures. I therefore need to have some level of mental discipline which will help me separate the hassles of work life from my head when I am at home.”

The forty three year old concluded that, “With the way I see it affecting my family I am learning fast that work affairs should be left at work and vice versa for home issues.”

Mrs. Margaret Banye advises that keeping a crowd outside office colleagues when socialising is a good remedy to help maintain a balance in one’s life. The sixty seven year-old retired nurse said, “Socializing with a different set of people who were not my work colleagues was a pleasant tonic every time I was off duty.

“There was no way these set of people were going to talk to me about the problems I was facing at work or me talk about theirs. We spoke only on neutral grounds and of things that provoked hearty and genuine laughter from within us. It took the pressure off us and actually did help me tackle those challenges better, afterwards.

“Sometimes we simply went out and pampered our selves with shopping or eating.  At other times we spoke about fashion trends and similar topics. Whatever we did, it was a huge relief not to be thinking about work,” the grandmother said.

In all one can say important as it is to do your job to the best of your ability, it is equally important to give time for rest and play by oneself and/or with loved ones.