Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60SEPTEMBER 2016 13 SEPTEMBER 2016 13 Work-Life Balance Whenever discussions about job stress come about, the concept of work-life balance inevitably comes up as well. As a concept, it’s become popular enough to earn its own Wikipedia page, and is the subject of countless self-help books. The Canadian Mental Health Association dedicates an entire section of its website to work-life balance. U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is often quoted as having said, “Don’t confuse having a career with having a life.” The idea of work-life balance is nothing new, and can be traced back to the 1800s and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. And who doesn’t remember being taught by their parents that “work before play” is an important philosophy? Toronto-based certified professional life coach and personal business coach Guy Reichard works with countless people looking to create more meaning and fulfillment in their lives, and the issue of work-life balance comes up a lot. “We get really involved in our career and build a lifestyle based on it. And then people start families, and depending on their income, there’s a particular type of house they want, activities for the kids, and they think they have to work so hard to maintain this lifestyle and they’re trying to find bal- ance,” he says. “But what does that mean? Devoting 12 hours a day to work, including getting up, commuting, coming home, eating dinner, maybe doing an exercise program of some sort, and sleep for six to eight hours? And you’re somehow going to squeeze all aspects of your personal life into those couple remaining hours? That struggle is very common, and how it affects people and how it’s addressed is very unique to the individual.” In fact, Reichard credits agriculture as the origin of the modern day challenge of balancing work and life. “Our way of living changed when we started to develop agri- culture and villages, which became towns and cities, and we started getting jobs where we provided a specific func- tion rather than just being a part of the tribe or group. We evolved, but it’s created this situation where we’re always busy and we’re becoming chained to the technology we’ve created, and now we need to develop ways to deal with that in a healthy manner.” Coping Entz has had to develop strategies for coping with the demands of working in the seed industry, where summer is often extremely hectic. “I used to try to take a week of holidays in July and one in August. In July I was so busy and so preoccupied, my wife finally said, ‘Why are you taking holidays in July? Your mind is on so many other things. Just forget about it. Take your holidays in August when things slow down a bit,’” he says. “I shifted my holidays to a couple weeks in August. Things are a bit slower then. That was a small move, but made life a lot easier.” Another tactic he’s implemented is to avoid working on week- ends, something he admits he’s not perfect at, but which has been “reasonably” successful. Hansen agrees that managing energy, not just time, is key. “It’s important for me to set some goals and objectives for that day. What are the things I’d like to do, should do and must do, and organize myself that way,” he says. “We all need to have other diversions from work, and that can be family, sports, other forms of distraction and relaxation. It helps business because it allows you to stay fresh and energized.” Putting Limits on Technology For both Hansen and Entz, turning off the gadgets once in awhile is key. “The use of technology has not reduced people’s workload at all. It’s probably increased it to a degree. You’re almost on call Peter Entz is assistant vice- president of seed and trade for Richardson International. David Hansen serves as president and chief executive officer for Manitoba’s CANTERRA SEEDS. Guy Reichard, a certified professional life coach and personal business coach, works with countless people to create more meaning and fulfillment in their lives — the issue of work-life balance dominates discussions.