One of the things preoccupying my mind at the moment is how I’m going to balance my family and work when I go back in a few months.
Prior to going on maternity leave, I had a bit of an unhealthy relationship with work. It’s unlikely how I was working could (or should) be sustained for the long-term. I was likely on track to burn myself out. I couldn’t stand to say no, especially since I work for a charity that I care for deeply. If I didn’t do it then X (insert exciting impactful thing) wouldn’t happen.
This time away has given me a chance to reset that relationship. That’s why I was keen to read an article about burnout in a creativity newsletter that popped up in my inbox.
It’s main purpose is to have organizations conciously set their target for how many hours their employees work. This company had set it at 35 hours (actual time working) based on evidence from studies like this one and this one that suggest long hours don’t make us anymore productive and can damage our health.
They make the case for tracking your time. This gives you and your leader an opportunity to see if you’re spending your time on your high priorities, if you’re going over that company set work target and what is eating up more time than you realize.
There will always be some weeks when you go over; however, these should be the exception vs the rule.
They also encourage creating a culture where it’s encouraged to scrutinize whether you’re really needed at a meeting.
Lots of interesting things. It’s definitely pushed me to commit to tracking my time when return to work. I owe it to my family to ensure that time away from them is used as effectively as possible.
Being a Force for Good 