WILMA C. INVENTOR-MIRANDA l March 1, 2023 l Business Mirror
EXECUTIVES have been trying to do more with less lately and it’s affecting their health and personal lives. More work, activities and tasks to do squeezed in so little time.
With the advent of the tax season, the economy at recovery stage, more financial reports required both internal and external, endless meetings, business services needed at all fronts—how do you prioritize and stay calm and collected?
According to a new study by Asana, nearly 70 percent of senior leaders say burnout affects their ability to make decisions and according to research by Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence across four countries, 41 percent of senior leaders are stressed, 36 percent are exhausted and fully 69 percent of executives are thinking about quitting because of their wellbeing. (www.forbes.com, July 21, 2022)
Personally, I am trying to maintain a work-life balance as best I can. I think it is important that each person, executive or entrepreneur or professional or even just a homebody, should have a life planning. We should think about what our goals are. If you want more income and willing to sacrifice your personal life—that is your goal.
Younger executives thought that focusing more on their work at the expense of their families while they are still young is the best route for them. Only to realize later on, the sacrifices they have to make just to get them to the top either in their career or in their financial goals.
You reap the consequences of your decisions and should be prepared to accept whatever you reap. If you do not have time to unplug and de-stress—you should be ready if it takes a toll on your health.
For accountants like me, it is sometimes difficult to leave work and unplug. But I try to discipline myself to have a to-do list and accomplish it by the end of the day so that I get a feeling of satisfaction or else I will forever be tied up and left myself wondering if I had done enough. Once “inbox” will never be empty and that is what I always remind myself.
In making the list, there is a need to know how to prioritize or the urgent but less important will dominate your time.
We need time to unplug to free our mind from work even for a short while. This will make one more productive and efficient. Activities like a short walk outside which is the ideal one since you can breath fresh air and be in a new environment or read a book, do a favorite hobby such as adult coloring book, talk to a friend, take coffee or tea—anything which will relax your mind even if it is just for a 10-minute break or so.
Breaks from work should also be carefully planned whether short breaks during the day or long vacations. You can also be more efficient if you learn to love what you do. Hating what you do not only “drieth your bones” but makes you less efficient.
When I bring work at home, it is because I want to compensate time which are interrupted during the day. To make it less stressful, I listen to my favorite music or if my work does not require much thinking, listen to podcasts or talks/sermons in my favorite channels while working in my computer. This seems to be like a multitask thing which is not advisable for some but I am less stressful when I work that way.
During the day I also write in my prayer journal which has become a habit since 1987. I have several writings which are hard-bound and which I kept for years. Writing a personal or prayer journal enable one to release tension and stress and enable a person to look at life in an orderly perspective. Many decisions in both my personal and career life were made through my prayer journal. New ideas and insights pops up in the process of writing these journals. It is also a “gratitude” journal where I list all the things and reasons why I am grateful for the day.
Aside from writing in a journal, one way to effectively unplug and relax is through exercise. The body releases happy hormones such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters during exercise even if it is just a simple walk outside. You can do both every day to effectively suppress hormones that create stress and anxiety and release the hormones that makes one relax and happy.
For some working in an activity aside from work such as work in a non-profit organization is therapeutic for them and not considered work at all. This rewires their brains to focus on something aside from the usual work they have in the office or at home.
Remember a very wise saying by Leonardo da Vinci “every now and then, go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.” Near or far when you unplug, you will be more productive and you will do not only your body but your soul a big favor.
*** Wilma Miranda is the 2022 chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, the managing partner of Inventor, Miranda & Associates, CPAs and a member of the Board of Directors of KPS Outsourcing Inc. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of these institutions and the BusinessMirror.