Do you leave work at a reasonable hour?
The reason I’m asking if you leave work at a reasonable hour is that I’m concerned about how stressed or how happy you are at work. A recent survey indicated that 89 percent of happy people versus 49 percent of unhappy people leave work at a reasonable hour.*
You know what else they found? 87% of workers report that work-life balance stress affects their health negatively. Are you one of the 87%?
Here’s a piece of practical wisdom you can take from the study: People who take breaks during the work day are much happier (68% vs 41%).
Often you may feel guilty taking a break, especially because you have so much work to do. But did you know, the world’s elite athletes maintain their energy and focus throughout long games by practicing a Sprint-Recovery pattern?**
It’s been proven for ‘business athletes’ like yourself as well. The best way to have All Day Focus and Energy, is to concentrate intensely for 60-90 minutes, then take a 10 minute break to rejuvenate. Do this whenever you are not in meetings.
Here’s where the gender issue comes into play. Ok, don’t shoot the messenger! Women are 35% less likely to take breaks than men.
Do you think it’s a coincidence that the study found women are 33% unhappier than men in the office??
If you don’t leave work at a reasonable hour, or you are a woman who thinks it would be impossible to schedule in time for a mental reset break, then choose one of the following and do it right now:
1) Register for my upcoming call Success under Stress for Women: How to Double your Effectiveness at Work and Your Energy at Home. I will show you how to organize your days so that you take breaks AND get your most important work done. You will learn how you can have energy all day long and not come home exhausted at night.
or
2) Respond to this email and schedule a strategy session with me to determine if it’s right for us to work together individually. If so, you will get handfuls of tools to get your important work done efficiently, and be present for the people that are important to you after work – I personally guarantee it.
* http://officepulse.captivate.com/work-life-balance
**The Power of Full Engagement, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
