Finding Balance

I've noticed since the COVID-19 outbreak that my normal grant development blogs are garnering less readers, but those that are talking about flow and habit are getting more than usual. This makes perfect sense to me. Most folks are less focused on trying to up their grants game and more focused on how to manage their work, families, grief, and even loss. So, I pulled some work out of the archive and dug up some more current resources for trying to cope and re-establish ourselves in the midst of stay-at-home orders.

Years ago, Dr. Jean Kutner spoke at one of our seminars on establishing work/life balance. And, she began by saying, "There's no such thing as work/life balance; it's all life!" She was quick to clarify that she didn't mean that we should have no boundaries and work all the time, but from her perspective, it was less important to try and categorize elements of life and just realize that all of the things we do are our life and we need to manage them all together, not disparately. This advice is even more poignant now. This morning as I was listening to the podcast below by Brene Brown on managing life and family while in a crisis unlike any we've experienced, my eight year old stopped me to set up abcmouse for him on the computer, then asked if I could come out rollerblading with him. My five year old had a mini tantrum when he couldn't find his toy catalog, etc. Never before has the idea of "it's all life," been more real to me. So, what can we do to achieve balance now?

Balance is achieved when you feel content in all areas of your life or feel like you have enough time to allocate to all the things that are important to you. This is easier said than done, especially now, but there are some things you can do. You can increase resources or decrease demands. Below I offer some suggestions under both categories.

Increase resources:
When it comes to the resources that make the biggest difference in terms of balance, the best resource to have is time. However, since we cannot create more time, it's important to look at ways that we can conserve time. This can mean things like finding an editor to review articles and/or grant proposals or perhaps delegating some tasks to others. Of course, be sensitive to what others are going through in this time. It might be better to wait on some tasks rather than unload them. Another way to save time is to be judicious in the extra responsibilities you take on. It's important that you master saying no to things that are not necessary or worth the additional stress in your life. And maybe at this point, you need to reassess what's currently on your plate and ask for extensions or to be let out of some responsibilities

Although I don't feel like there is a moment during the day that I'm not multitasking, it's important to remember that multitasking is a deceptively large time suck. Although most people think that multitasking saves time, research shows that people really can't focus on multiple things at the same time, and they actually lose time switching to new things and remembering/refocusing what they're doing. So, instead, prioritize and do one thing at a time.

Reduce demand:
Prioritizing can help you to get the work that needs to be done done and can alleviate some of the pressure that you feel in the short-term. Setting reasonable expectations with colleagues is another way that can reduce demand, especially in the near future.

Self-care:
When things get stressful, it's easy to kick it into overdrive in the short term. Problem is when this gets to be longer term, there are serious health repercussions. So remember, taking care of yourself makes you more productive during your working time. So make sure you get the sleep you need and consistently exercise. Also, take breaks and spend quality time with family members or pets or call friends on the phone.

Give yourself time to process what is happening right now. Continue to be kind to yourself; accept that you won't be able to do all the things you wish you could.

Resources:
Brene Brown on Comparative Suffering, the 50/50 myth, and Settling the Ball
That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief