The Challenge of Managing Work and Life
The Challenge of Managing Work and Life
Kathleen Barton
Friday, 20 August 2010
Balancing work and life is one of the hottest issues of our time. In fact, according to an Aon Consulting poll, 88% of employees say they have a hard time juggling work and life. Not surprisingly, increasing work demands are a primary factor. With recent downsizing, employees are taking on the jobs of two or three people. Here are some statistics related to work pressures.
• Nearly 50% of all US workers feel overwhelmed by a growing number of job tasks and longer working hour (Families & Work Institute study).
• The average work week is now 49.2 hours (according to USA Today).
• 63% of all employees want to work less (Families & Work Institute study).
This quote from one of my coaching clients, Karen, reveals the result of being overworked. “Working 50-60 hour work weeks doesn’t leave much time to take care of responsibilities at home, which increases the stress level on the weekends to get all the household chores done. This leaves little to no time to enjoy hobbies, family, outings, and such.”
When I ask participants in my workshops what are their biggest work-life challenges, I often hear a couple themes.
1. There’s never enough time to do everything that needs to get done. When I ask who feels this way, nearly all the hands shoot up. As a result of feeling pressured to do everything, they feel stressed out.
2. Over-committing or over-extending oneself. My workshop participants often have high expectations of themselves, and have a tendency to try to do too much. As a result of trying to meet the demands of others, they oftentimes put themselves last. This comment from a workshop participant, Maria, sums it up. “Between work and family, I put myself last. Some days I get so busy, I don’t even take time to eat!”About Kathleen
Kathleen Barton
Friday, 06 Aug 2010
Over twenty years ago Kathleen realized her life was out of balance. She spent all her time working, going to school, and studying. She didn’t have time for her husband much less herself. Faced with the prospect of losing her marriage, she realized she had totally lost sight of her priorities. That was the start of her life balance journey.
As a reformed workaholic, Kathleen Barton, MBA, specializes in life purpose and life balance. She draws on her own experiences (having worked in alternate work arrangements) to help others live their life according to their purpose, values, and priorities.
For over twenty years Kathleen has presented to a variety of audiences, including professional women’s associations, high technology and healthcare. Key clients include eWomenNetwork, Hewlett-Packard Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sutter Health, Society of Women Engineers, and T-Mobile, among others. Kathleen has coached numerous professionals from major corporations. As a certified Life Coach, she specializes in career and life coaching.