Balancing work-life integration is an on-going challenge for me. In the past, work has been my dominant focus, even at the expense of my health and relationships. My family, like many others, has experienced different forms of addiction. For me, my addiction gets expressed through being a workaholic, which is great in terms of what can be achieved, but bad in terms of people taking advantage of your drive and ability, as well as to your own health.
It will therefore come as no surprise that there have been past occasions where my body burned out and as I failed to listen to and acknowledge the signs, thinking I was indestructible or "if I just get this done".
I have learned over the course of my career to integrate key supports such as meditation, massage, acupuncture, and a daily exercise regime. I try and eat as healthy as possible (e.g. minimal processed food), and take daily nutrient supplements to support my body and its needs.
It is important to carve out time in the schedule to maintain a healthy body, mind, and spirit in order to maintain performance levels.
It is for this reason my mornings are scared as I use this time to be healthily selfish to energize and focus for the day.
I think sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking doing more will mean having to do less. The reality is the workplace will take whatever you give it. The trick is to work smarter by integrating certain practices that increase your efficiency and overall effectiveness.
It is also important to remove yourself from the workplace environment to clear your mind from the business of the everyday in order to gain new insights and perspectives. Living in the digital age enables us to work from anywhere, freeing our minds of assumptions, daily rituals that reinforce conformity and enabling us to have insights, different perspectives and increased creativity.
As a digital nomad I love the freedom of working from different locations, immersing myself into a different community, and creating new and interesting collaborations. Removing yourself from toxic living by working at a different location can be greatly beneficial to you, your team and the organisation.
About Marion
Marion is a highly experienced and accomplished strategy, innovation and leadership professional with a focus on the enterprise and government sectors. She is a trusted advisor to CEOs and senior executives, providing practical and pragmatic solutions to the challenges they face. Marion is the Managing Director at Azolla Holdings Pty Ltd, a Board member, thought leader and member of an international entrepreneur association.