It’s not about work-life balance… Actually LIVING helps work productivity!

Originally published in 2019

One of my takeaways from a recent episode of Hidden Brain was the story about a young doctor who couldn’t keep up until she started to make time for herself. And once she did, she was able to actually get more done (and at a higher quality) as a doctor.

Apparently, I have been doing the “before” of what this doctor has been doing too long. And I have been doing the “after” version for about a year now. I’ve never been more productive per hour at work in my career. It’s about time! (I guess I am a slow learner.)

In my past, I’ve been at startups where I did the 75 hour weeks. At companies where “your butt better be in the seat from 8am to 6pm and you better answer your emails 24×7.” At companies where the culture (toxic?) measured your ability to move up in the organization by how many hours you were there rather than impact. By having bosses tell me “your son’s mom can bring your kid to the hospital, you need to be HERE.” Yes, that really happened to me.

So, workers of fewer years of experience, and those of similar experience levels that I have, do the following things. Now! And please help me with the dilemma I describe after this list.

1. Pencil in alone time every day, even if it is sitting in the car when you get home.
2. Start meditating. It takes a long time to get the hang of it. I’m in year two and not there yet. But it helps. (Prayer works too, in addition or instead, if you are a person who prays.)
3. Do something you loved as a child (for me it’s pottery) and a new something every week (for me it’s improv classes) .
4. Exercise. Seriously. Even if it is just a pre-work walk. Do it EVERY DAY. There is nothing that will help you more than this. And, if you are younger and don’t know it yet, this will help your body age much better. And your mind. If you don’t do anything else on this list, EXERCISE.
5. Take a long hike, by yourself, at least once a month (every two weeks if you can). Do it in nature. Although if you have to walk in a city, walk in a city. Hike by yourself. Think more slowly and think about things you normally wouldn’t. Play a game if you have to – count the number of purple things you can find in the woods. Find quartz rocks. Take photos. But not with a smartphone, that should be off and in your backpack.
6. Keep a gratitude journal. (Bookmark a Google doc on your browser and write a few lines of what you are grateful for each morning.) Yes, this sounds hippie crunchy and like new agey bulls&^%. But it really works. And, when you think you haven’t or can’t ever do anything productive again, look at the list. It really works.
7. Write a post on LinkedIn or Medium or your own blog once in a while. Even if it sucks. It’s the act of writing that matters. I find that when I am stuck on something at work (like, well, right now) writing a short piece not about work opens the word and idea floodgate.

Help me please

The only thing I haven’t been able to do yet is to get over the guilt of not being at the office for 75 hours a week. I believe, and I have been told by my managers, that I am being productive. My position is exempt, and I do work more than 40 hours per week. Yet, I still feel guilty sometimes heading to Toastmasters, or to the pool. My brain still tells me I am cheating. And I’m not! Thoughts?

Live a little. Work effectively. Live even more. Rinse and repeat.