by Danika Deva, NACWE Education Coordinator

Occupational Wellness – BALANCE

BALANCE is the first word that pops into my head when I think of occupational wellness.  Sure there are other aspects, but without balance, we cannot be truly effective in the workplace. Do you agree?

In order to be occupationally “well-balanced,” we need to focus on several interconnected areas:

• Assurance of Our Calling
• Dreaming and Planning
• Executing Projects or Work Tasks
• Relationships in the Workplace (and out)
• Rest and Relaxation, Fun and Hobbies

BALANCE

Setting the actual components aside, let’s look at what balance looks like. We often think to have balance everything has to be equal, like slices of a pecan pie.  That is not the case as most times, elements of balance will not all be the same.  Balance doesn’t look perfect, except in a perfect world!

Occupational balance means that sometimes you may be in a planning season, or in the execution phase of an idea. Maybe you ramp up your marketing to meet a deadline so you spend more time in one area over another. It is the same in life, too. You may have more family time when a child graduates or you become a grandma. Nope, it is not a perfect proportional pie!

Even as I write this, I am in a cabin in the woods creating. I’m writing books, making journals, creating activities, and tracking music.  These six days will only focus on creating.  Is that out of balance, no!  I planned it. I knew that to get what I needed to get done, I needed more time to design and generate for my business. Not out of balance, but “freeingly” fun! (BTW, “freeingly” is a word I created in my creation mode!)

Balancing Occupational Wellness

In a nutshell, balance ebbs and flows.

Now let’s look at what occupational balance is and is not.  Keep in mind that our goal is to grow our business/ministry, help and bless others, and be in the center of God’s Will glorifying Him!

Balance is NOT:

1) avoiding or neglecting areas of your business

2) focusing on getting even amounts of time in each area so your circles on the chart look perfect

3) following a specific plan or structure until you are exhausted

Balance IS:

1) Defining what YOU need to do at a specific time to make your business (or life for that matter) run efficiently and productively

2) Allowing time for self-care, and rest and relaxation too

3) Enjoying building your business/ministry without being hyper focused on the process or product, and instead, understanding that God orchestrates the ideas, timing, and business growth, etc.

So this month, as we focus on Occupational Wellness (OW), add Balance (B) to the OW and allow yourself to BOW to the Creator, His timing, His plan and His design for your Occupational Wellness and watch each area of your business (with God’s direction) blossom like the flowers of spring!

Danika Deva

NACWE Education Coordinator

DanikaDeva.com

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13