The document discusses achieving work-life balance and provides tips for social workers to create a personal work-life balance plan. It notes that lack of work-life balance affects job performance and health according to surveys. The document then provides guidance on conducting a self-assessment, setting goals and priorities, implementing supports, and engaging in self-care activities to develop a sustainable work-life balance.

1. Work/Life Balance and You:
Taking the Oxymoron OUT of Social Work!
Aaron M. Swart, BS, MSW

2. VIDEO
• Can any of you identify with Adam
Sandler?
• How about Adam’s partner in the movie?
His kids?
• Does YOUR life feel out of control?
• Wish you could “CLICK” the remote and
make some changes?

3. Goals For Our Time Together…
• Understand that our own work/life
balance or lack thereof affects
everything we do and impacts everyone
we relate to
• Utilize what we already know to help
ourselves achieve more balance in our
lives
• Reconnect with what’s important to each
of us by initiating our own work/life plan

4. Work/Life Balance: What IS that?
(Wikipedia):
Work-life balance is a broad concept including
proper prioritizing between career and ambition
on one hand, compared with pleasure, leisure,
family and spiritual development on the other.
Can this be achieved?

5. Survey Says…
According to a national public opinion poll
conducted by the American Psychological
Association, two-thirds of both men and women
say work has a significant impact on their stress
level, and one in four has called in sick or taken
a “mental health day” as a result of work stress.
Also a significant concern for employers, job
stress is estimated to cost U.S. industry $300
billion a year in absenteeism, diminished
productivity, employee turnover and direct
medical, legal and insurance fees.
Source: http://www.phwa.org/resources/creatingahealthyworkplace/

6. Work or Life…that is the question!
•
HOW DO WE CHOOSE WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT?

7. Where Are You Right Now?
© 2002 Worklifebalance.com, Inc. Source: http://www.worklifebalance.com/assets/pdfs/casestudy.pdf

8. Gut Check…
• Health/physical-emotional-mental-spiritual fitness-
what’s important to you?
• Time Management Preferences?
• What’s the Big Picture?
Adapted from: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Work-Life/1806/How-to-Create-Your-Personal-Work-Life-Balance-Plan.html

9. How Does Your Day Begin?
• What are the messages we tell
our clients each day?
• What are the messages we tell
ourselves each day?

10. Things We Ask Our Clients…
• What do YOU want?
• What are your strengths?
• What resources do you have currently?
• What are your challenges?
• How can I help you reach your goal?
• How realistic do you think this is…?
• What is your reasoning behind (you name it)…?

11. Things We May Tell Ourselves…
My Clients Need ME!
No One Else Will Do It Like I Can!
My Dreams Can Wait…

12. Paradigm Shift…
• What if we took time to do for ourselves what
we may already be doing for our clients?
• What would that look like for each of us?
Guilt? Natural?
~What we’re used to we re-create…

13. Be Intentional…Self-Advocate!
• A willingness to do something differently
• Counting the costs of NOT creating a plan
• Accountability
• Endurance!

14. Seen these before?
• What is MY Long-Range Outcome?
(Ensure that this is an outcome desired by the individual, and not a goal belonging to others.)
• Where am I now in relation to MY outcomes?
• What is/are my Short Range Goal(s)?
• What Supports/Interventions will help me
to reach my goals?
• What is working best in my life right now?
• What is NOT working in my life right now?
• My Health/Behavioral Concerns?
• My Barriers to Success?
Questions adapted from: http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/MHDDSAS/pcp.htm

15. The PCP: A Work/Life Tool!
1). Use Slides 14, 16, and 17 to guide you as you
create your plan (I’ll go over these):
a. Answer three questions for yourself on slide #12.
YOU pick!
b. Peruse items from slide # 13 as you go, and
c. Incorporate ideas from slide #14 that fit you the best!)
Questions adapted from: http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/MHDDSAS/pcp.htm

16. Tips While Creating Your Plan…
• Give yourself time to brainstorm;
write down your goals
• Keep your goals highly visible
(at work and home)
• Let others know you are serious;
recruit positive influences
• Make sure that you give yourself
and others time to adjust to goals
• Allow the process to unfold;
keep short accounts of progress

17. Be Proactive vs. Reactive!
• Go for a walk. • Light scented candles
• Spend time in nature. • Savor a warm cup of
• Call a good friend. coffee or tea.
• Sweat out tension • Play with a pet.
with a good workout. • Work in your garden.
• Write in your journal. • Get a massage.
• Take a long bath. • Curl up with a good book.
• Listen to music.
• Watch a comedy.
Adapted from: http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

18. Deliberate Self-Care Strives To…
• Seek balance.
• Combine detachment with doing our part.
• Balance giving with receiving.
• Alternate work with play, business with
personal activities.
• Balance tending to our spiritual needs
with tending to our other needs.
• Juggle responsibilities to others with
responsibilities to ourselves.
• Balance caring about others with caring
about ourselves.
“Whenever possible, let's be good to others,
but be good to ourselves, too.” -Melody Beattie
• Source: Beattie, M. (1990). The language of letting go. New York: Harper Collins, p. 84.

19. Work/Life Web Resources
• http://www.helpguide.org
This site is a comprehensive, non-profit balance site dealing
with myriad topics such as mental health, relationships, and
anger management at any age.
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/
The Mayo Clinic has a section of their website dedicated to
Work/Life balance as it relates to physical health and stressors!
• http://www.livestrong.com/
Inspired by Lance Armstrong, this site is full of ideas,
inspiration, and blogs to help you reach your goals