Hi, I’m Rhianna, a practicum intern at Dóchas Psychological Services here in Spruce Grove, and I’d love to talk about the importance of work-life balance.
It’s easy to fall into the pattern of putting work first, especially when you care about what you do. But over time, that habit can quietly drain your energy, affect your relationships, and leave you wondering why even your days off don’t feel restful.
If you’ve been feeling stuck on autopilot, this blog offers a few ways to start shifting that balance. From boundaries to basic needs, these small but meaningful steps can help you reconnect with life outside of work.
Read on for my story with burnout or skip to the end to learn my tips for finding work-life balance!
My Burnout Story
I have been practicing as a Registered Nurse for around 8 years, and while healthcare and helping others is a passion of mine, there was a phase of my life where it left me feeling exhausted and with a lowered ability to properly care for myself. My nursing career took place in a small Ontario town where I worked at a 60-bed nursing home.
I felt a huge sense of community and support due to the familiarity of our staff. On the other hand, due to its location and it being relatively small, recruiting new staff and finding coverage for current staff was always a challenge. This made already-existing staffing challenges worse, creating added pressures and tensions within myself and my environment.
Being a young and newly graduated nurse, I had a lot of motivation and passion to give to my workplace and to the residents who lived there. In addition to this, having no dependents (children or pets) made it very easy to pick up shifts that needed to be filled as I had a lot of freedom and flexibility in my personal life. For example, I would work double shifts, or schedule myself where I had less than 8 hours in between shifts to rest. I also remember working every weekend for some months, and having inconsistencies in my changeover periods between Day, Evening, and Night shifts.
These shift variances in my schedule created challenges with my sleeping and eating habits, and overall day-to-day living. After some time, I found myself starting to take naps, which I never did before, and realized that my personal hygiene habits were suffering. I found myself having little to no energy when I was home, lacking motivation to cook meals or make meaningful connections with my partner. I remember feeling like I was on autopilot, where my life centred around work and my days off consisted of thinking about when I was going to work next. With the nature of my job, on my days off, I would frequently get calls asking me to come in to work. Even though I did decline sometimes, getting work calls on my days of rest perpetuated the feeling that work was the biggest aspect of my life.
During this time, I was also living away from family and friends, so it was easier to put more of my energy into work rather than ‘play’, as I was lacking those social supports in my life. As I reflect on this, it’s possible that being so occupied with work was a form of distraction from what was going on in my personal life.
Tips for a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Watch my video or keep reading to learn some tips for finding work-life balance:
Learn the value of having days off – Take time away from work. What you do is up to you, as this will look different for everybody. This may include resting, going out to do a fun activity, catching up on chores, or spending time with loved ones. Engaging in self-care can look like many things, and it doesn’t have to be big or resource intensive for it to be meaningful and impactful. Do something that brings you joy or makes you feel purposeful/productive outside of your work life.
Tend to your self-care needs – Prioritize your well-being through healthy eating habits, getting enough sleep, and practicing good hygiene. This will give you the necessary energy and focus needed to tend to varying responsibilities and tasks throughout your work and personal life. Although it may not feel like this needs explaining, it is one of the most important things that keeps everything else running smoothly.
Keep work at work – If/when possible, avoid doing work at home. This includes refraining from checking work emails or taking calls from co-workers during your time off. Creating these healthy boundaries can help improve work-life imbalances and lessen the enmeshment that may be occurring.
Manage stress – We all experience stress in our lives, and to some degree, stress can be a good thing, as it serves as a motivator in life. But be careful, too much stress is never good! Find an outlet to help lower your stress levels. This may include taking time for physical activity, talking to a counsellor, or engaging in simple breathing exercises or quick meditation.
I hope you feel better equipped in managing life’s demands by prioritizing a healthy work-life relationship.
If you are struggling with work-life balance and are looking for support, reach out to a mental health therapist here at Dóchas Psychological Services – 780-446-0300 or info@dochaspsych.com – we would be happy to work with you.
About Dóchas Psychological
Dóchas Psychological Services is a well-established and trusted therapy clinic located in Spruce Grove, Alberta. At Dóchas we value the idea that everyone deserves a safe space. Through connection and education, our team works hard to build a trustworthy relationship with each of our clients. It is our goal to create a community for our clients to feel like they belong.
Disclaimer
Information provided through Dóchas Psychological Services blogs or vlogs is meant for educational purposes only. They are NOT medical or mental health advice. You can read more about our disclaimer here.
