Workplace Hero | Out of Office

I am spending the week at my mom’s house, visiting her, my sister, my niece and nephew and giving myself some downtime before I present at Western Canada’s first ever Podcast Summit in Calgary Alberta. I am doing a presentation of how to edit your podcast with style. And… er… I hope they don’t listen to this episode before my presentation… not exactly my best work. Ha ha!

Show Notes

Hello, My Workplace Heros. Brock Armstrong here, in a totally stripped down version of the podcast today because I am currently out of the office. Actually, you can think of this episode as my podcasting Out Of Office reply.

Anyway, since I am trying to walk the walk and not just talk the talk about being a Workplace Hero, I thought I would make this podcast a quick and clear lesson on Work Life Balance.

Over at the Canadian Mental Health Association’s website they have a Work-Life Balance Quiz and I thought it would be fun to take it together.

The website asks: Do you find it difficult to balance the different roles in your life? If so, you’re not alone – 58% of Canadians report “overload” as a result of the pressures associated with work, home and family, friends, physical health, volunteer and community service.

Let’s take the quiz to see if we’re in balance. After I ask each question, make a mental note if you answered yes to the question. Keep track of how many yes-es (or agrees) you had and I will tell you at the end how well you did.

Disclaimer This is not a scientific test. Information provided is not a substitute for professional advice. If you feel that you may need advice, please consult a qualified health care professional.

1. I feel like I have little or no control over my work life 2. I regularly enjoy hobbies or interests outside of work 3. I often feel guilty because I can’t make time for everything I want to 4. I frequently feel anxious or upset because of what is happening at work 5. I usually have enough time to spend with my loved ones 6. When I’m at home, I feel relaxed and comfortable 7. I have time to do something just for me every week 8. On most days, I feel overwhelmed and over-committed 9. I rarely lose my temper at work 10. I never use all my allotted vacation days 11. I often feel exhausted – even early in the week 12. Usually, I work through my lunch break 13. I rarely miss out on important family events because of work 14. I frequently think about work when I’m not working 15. My family is frequently upset with me about how much time I spend working

Ok - now, what your score means.

0 – 5: Your life is out of balance – you need to make significant changes to find your equilibrium. But you can take control!

6 – 10: You’re keeping things under control – but only barely. Now is the time to take action before you’re knocked off balance. In case you were wondering, I scored a 9 so this is my category.

11 – 15: You’re on the right track! You’ve been able to achieve work/life balance – now, make sure you protect it

There you go! I hope you found that helpful. Now I am going to put down this computer and go play some street hockey with my sister’s kids.

Go Oilers!

I'll be back next week with a real podcast, I promise.

What is Workplace Hero?

The aim of this podcast is for me to arm you, my amazing workplace-casual army, with the weapons needed to combat the potential and perhaps inherent downsides of our chosen lifestyle. Most of us spend at least 40 hours per week at our place of work (47.7 hours is the actual average - even if we only get paid for 37.5 hours). We put time and effort into what our home looks like. We put research into the car we buy or the clothes we wear. Why wouldn’t we put at least that much effort into how we approach our workspace? This podcast will help you optimize, hone and perfect your office habitat so you can truly be a Workplace Hero.