The covid pandemic has caused many people to re-evaluate their work-life balance. Virtual work has been eye-opening for some who feel they can be just as productive working from home as in the office, while avoiding the daily commute and time away from family and friends. Stress levels have decreased as people feel more in control of their lives while businesses are evaluating just how much office time is necessary and what the commercial tradeoffs are.
In therapy, I help my patients become more aware of the choices and tradeoffs they are willing to make to get ahead while preserving their quality of life. Therapy can help people define what is important to them and how they want to measure success. People may discover that their career path was influenced by parental values and ideas they don’t share, and decisions made in their 20’s may no longer feel relevant to their current lifestyle and vision for their future. Covid has been a catalyst for many to think about their work priorities in a new way.
If you are considering making a change in your work-life balance because of covid or any other life-changing moment, here are a few things to consider:
Change is not failure, but an opportunity– it is ok to say “this is not for me” and decide to make a change to a new job or even change careers. It’s a sign of personal growth to be honest with yourself and reassess your priorities and tradeoffs. I changed careers in my 40’s and have never been happier!
Acknowledge new life stages-tradeoffs change at different stages of life—marriage, children, aging parents, loss of a loved one or any traumatic event (a pandemic!) may lead to a reassessment of priorities and balance in your life.
Self-assessment before change-take time to ask yourself the important questions before you take a leap. Identify the stressors in your current situation and visualize what you want to change and re-define the meaning of success in your current life situation.
The bottom line? Know yourself.
Don’t feel pressure to conform.
Define what success means to you.
Take a step back and evaluate your priorities.
See the change as another path in the direction of your life.
Enjoy the journey!