There is a reason why the current work culture in India lacks work-life balance.
How we got here:
- Two generations ago, our nation was under colonial rule. By the time it ended, we had to confront the world wars.
- We endured malnourishment, famines and many economic challenges during and even after the colonial period.
- There was terrorism and communal riots, and even educated people struggled to find jobs.
- Naturally, those parents taught their children that education and career come first, even before eating, sleeping and playing.
- The current generation was raised with this mindset, so we do not value work-life balance.
- This is why foreign companies convinced us to work night shifts for them, while they maintain their own work-life balance.
- We are so considerate of the time difference that we fail to see how harmful this is to our health.
Here are 5 tips that can help us:
1. Be selfish
- We must begin to prioritize our health.
- We rank first in heart diseases, second in the least amount of sleep, are runners-up in depression, and are the diabetes capital of the world. These are not achievements to be proud of.
- At dietitiananuradha.com, we meet patients who already have damage to multiple organs yet remain more worried about their jobs.
- How can we treat a lifestyle disease without changing the lifestyle? Their work does not allow them time to eat, sleep, hydrate, or even use the toilet.
- Sometimes it is not only the management’s fault. Employees willingly do this to prove their worth.
- But all they prove is how common lifestyle diseases and organ damage have become from poor work-life balance.
2. Relax
- Pick a hobby that does not involve OTT platforms or video games.
- After work hours, disconnect from work-related thoughts. Imagine yourself in the 1990s coming home from your job.
- Share a meal with your family and talk about the day.
- Help your spouse tidy the kitchen.
- Take a leisurely stroll after dinner.
- Play ludo, carrom or chess with your children.
- Enjoy romantic moments with your spouse.
- Listen to music, look at old childhood photographs, paint, sing, read (preferably on paper, as Kindle was not there in the 1990s), play an instrument, or do anything that brings you joy.
3. Sleep and eat on time
- Our body systems run involuntarily. We do not control them directly, the brain manages them automatically.
- The brain optimizes body functions when we follow a lifestyle aligned with our circadian rhythm (the body’s internal clock).
- Even if we try to train the brain to a new lifestyle, it is unlikely to comply.
- So keep a regular schedule for eating and sleeping. Otherwise, we risk leading the world in chronic lifestyle diseases.
- Please don’t say, “Nothing happens to me.” Statistics do not lie. We have seen 19-year-old cardiac patients, 16-year-olds with type 2 diabetes, and 6-year-olds with grade three fatty liver, all from lifestyle choices.
- If we don’t eat properly when we need energy at work, we end up stress eating, which is high in calories, sugar, salt and fat.
4. Gratitude
- Be grateful for what is on your plate. Fold your hands, thank God, and enjoy your meal, whether it is green vegetables, dal, roti, rice, idli or any other family dish.
- Natural foods are not tailored to our taste like processed foods are. We must adapt to their flavors.
- Vegetables, fruits and dals we may not enjoy for taste are good for our health.
- Processed foods, designed to suit our taste, can be harmful.
- Visiting places like CINI (Child in Need Institute) can increase our appreciation for what we have, and inspire us to be more generous.
5. Meditate and exercise
- Begin your day with a positive mindset.
- If you have already risen early, you have time to exercise, bathe, pray, meditate, prepare breakfast and eat.
- With such a start, your performance at work is bound to soar.
- As the saying goes, “It is simple to be happy, but it is difficult to be simple.” Similarly, “It is simple to be healthy, but it is difficult to be simple.”
A word on social media:
- Social media has built addictive behaviors and badly disrupted our lifestyles.
- As one post said: when something is free, you are not the customer, you are the product.
- You get addicted to processed foods, streaming services and social media, fall ill, and then find it hard to change your lifestyle.
- You become reliant on medication and hospitals. Many industries thrive on your dependency.
We have been given a precious gift, our brain, which can be likened to Felix Felicis. Use it wisely.
This article is for educational purposes and does not replace personalised medical advice.
