Oftentimes, work and feeling like one has too little time in life can lead to stress. Over time, stress actually weakens an individual’s immune system, making him or her susceptible to various illnesses and other serious health issues—from colds to backaches to heart disease. Some causes of stress for many people are work and busy schedules, so it’s important to create a healthy work-life balance and make time for the people in one’s life as well as activities that spark joy and allow a person to disconnect from daily tasks and responsibilities.
For Dallas-area resident Arinda Cale, who is an estimating compliance manager in the construction industry, making concerted efforts to ensure that her schedule allows for spending time in situations in which she wants to be is a top priority.
“Connecting with the people I love and the things I love to do brings me the most joy,” she said. “Our work may provide a sense of fulfillment, but ultimately our connections with each other and the experiences that bring us joy are most important.”
And in order to make that possible, Cale said she doesn’t over-commit herself to events and situations that don’t necessarily excite her.
“I do my best not to schedule the things that aren’t that important to me,” she said. “I keep it vague—I’ll let you know if I can come or I’ll see what’s going on that weekend and let you know. That way, if an opportunity comes up to see someone I haven’t seen in a while or go for a spontaneous road trip, I just go, and I don’t feel guilty for using my time to do what I want.”
Dallas resident and attorney Scott Magdziak said that finding a healthy work-life balance saved him from what he believes was a disastrous path, leading to him cutting back some of his hours at work.
“It’s paramount to my health and joy,” he said. “I am always meeting friends and family for coffee, drinks, dinner, to play dominoes, to go for runs, or to cycle. It’s also important to show up for events—whether it’s a birthday party, a wedding, a funeral, or a Super Bowl party. The community, the accountability, the laughs, and the friendships that come with prioritizing people and activities are priceless.”
Magdziak also said that he typically accepts most invitations to events and gatherings and rarely regrets saying “yes” to such things.
“Sure, there are conflicts or times when I must rest, but generally, I just show up,” he said. “And the addition of running, activities, and the community and friends I found through White Rock Running Co-op sent me on a trajectory that has exponentially changed my life for the better. I am grateful for that.”
Similarly, Dallas resident and attorney Julie Lanaux highly values work-life balance and said that time is her "most precious resource and one that is non-renewable."
"Ultimately, you have to decide what is important to you and make time for those activities and those people first," she said. "If there's time left over, then you can fill it with less important things. But I always make sure to have space for whom and what I consider most important for me."
For Dallas resident Alexis Derrow, a director of project management, changing what she valued as most important became essential to her lifestyle. She now emphasizes a healthy work-life balance because she believes that purpose and meaning are the keys to happiness and that it typically doesn’t come from work.
“I didn’t prioritize my personal life for a long time, and I was really unhappy,” she said. “I decided to start going to church again and volunteering, and I was much happier and more pleasant to be around, so it was easier to make and keep friends.”
Dallas resident and staff surveyor Adam “Gary” Gribben said he regularly makes time to participate in activities with the WRRC, Dallas Dirt Runners, Reunion Church, Our Savior Community Garden, Pleasant Grove Food Pantry, and District 9 Draught Haus.
“For me, I am one of the lucky ones who still needs a paycheck but has regular predictable hours and a boss who lets me squeeze things around work hours if need be,” he said. “Those advantages aside, regularly showing up makes it a habit of your schedule.”
And Gribben believes that making time for connections with others and with what you enjoy is important, regardless of what you are going through in life.
“In good times, definitely take time to enjoy it while it lasts,” he said. “In bad times, isolation is not the answer, so find some activity with people worth your time. And lastly, if you feel helpless, then help someone else, and see how far that gets you.”
WEEKLY PHOTO OP
It was a packed house at Fleet Feet, as plenty of individuals made time for last week's TNSR 2023 Winter Quarterly Run