One would think having a woman (other than your wife) tell you that you have rock hard pecs is a good thing- unless that woman is a chiropractor and she's telling you that your pectoral muscles actually feel like bone, and that's what's been contributing to all the pain you've been feeling in your neck and back. Call it trauma from a couple of car accidents that were out of your control, and a whole lot of stress that is well within it, and you can see that may be the pace you've been keeping is starting to take its toll. That's one man's story (well. mine), but what's yours? All involved dads have one. It seems we're working so hard to find the right balance between our work and family lives that we don't stop to take a minute to see what the pace of our daily routine is taking on our bodies, our outlook, our very souls. And,when you can't always be in two places at once, no matter how much of a "super" guy you are, the stress begins to become unmanageable, until your body just absorbs it and slowly turns you to, well, stone (or bone in my case). No. This is not the first time we've taken on this topic (see above link), but it's worthwhile discussing it again and again until every new dad gets it through his head that he is not alone, and working dads especially need to heed the warnings provided on this page. Simply put: when you put the weight of the world on your shoulders and try to carry it around with you, day in and day out without ever putting it down, you will inevitably crumble from the strain. No man is so strong that he can do it all alone, and every man, no matter how capable, needs help to figure out the right balance between what he can and cannot do while trying to fulfill his obligations to both his employer (be it a boss, customers, clients, or country) and his family.
So let's learn what it means to find "balance" in our lives so we can be better sons, husbands, and most importantly, fathers.
1. WHAT IS WORK-LIFE BALANCE?
2. WHAT ARE THE TELLTALE SIGNS THAT YOU ARE NOT ACHIEVING YOURS?
- Top Ten Signs that Your Work-Life Balance is Out of Balance- Article (by: Wayne Parker)
- How Does Work Fit In To Your Life?
3. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO FIX IT?
- Top 10 Ways to Balance Life and Work- Article (by: Wayne Parker, About.com Fatherhood)
- Work-Life Balance for Busy Dads
- Who Needs Balance? Dads Do!- Article
- Why Aren't Dad's Lobbying for Better Work Life-Balance?
4. WHO CAN HELP YOU?
Although there were many websites we could have listed here, the real answer to this question is YOU. You have the power to ask your wife and your family to help you find the right balance between your work and your home life. You have the power to buy some books to help you learn some key strategies to incorporate in to your life to simplify it. You have the motivation to find someone in your area (a psychologist, or a group for working dads) to talk to about your problems, who will help you find was to manage your stress. All it takes is a willingness to ask for help, and a desire to make your world function smoothly with as little wear and tear on your body, your mind and your soul as possible. All it takes a quick look at yourself to see that you don't have to bare the weight alone, if you are willing to be your own impetus for change... for the better.
And, when all else fails, remember what your Mother told you... (if you can remember it in Spanish)
INSPIRATIONAL VIDEO- SET TO LYNYRD SKYNYRD'S "SIMPLE MAN."
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