Strategies for Optimizing Work/Life BalanceJOANNE FAZIO-GOSSER, RPHBRADI L. FREI, PHARMD, BCOPUNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD, FEIK SCHOOL OF PHARMACY

Learning Objectives

Examine several different time management strategies for pharmacists and technicians

Compare and contrast phone applications for productivity and time management

Evaluate strategies for work/life balance Identify the ways to optimize productivity at work and

home Apply the practical techniques and concepts to both

work and home life

Work/Life Balance

Case Study

You get home late from work — too late to spend time with the children before bedtime or attend that exercise class you had planned.

You were too busy to take a lunch break, though you did have several cups of coffee and some doughnuts. Your head aches and you are hungry, but it seems like too much effort to cook, so you decide to have a frozen dinner.

While you wait for the microwave to ping, you look at your phone and notice some new emails, which you decide you might as well read now.

You had intended to call a friend but collapsing in front of the TV with a glass of wine seems more appealing.

At bedtime you feel stressed and guilty.

Workplace pressure In recent years, excessive workplace pressure

has been acknowledged as a major problem for some pharmacists. Pharmacists are worried about the effect of work stress on their health and the impact of work stress on family and social lives.

A heavy workload (perhaps worsened by staff shortages and absences), pressing deadlines, pressures from managers and periods of change all contribute to stress at work.

Stress and our Bodies

Prolonged stress is known to have a negative health impact.

It is linked to a range of medical conditions: heart disease, high blood pressure, IBS, and ulcers.

Millions of working days are lost each year though work-related stress, depression or anxiety.

Balancing Act Everyone’s definition of a healthy work-life

balance will be different — the key is to find your own equilibrium. If you resent the amount of time and energy taken up by work, rather than finding it rewarding and fulfilling, then it is time to take stock, take responsibility for your own health and well-being, and recognize that you have choices.

Remember, your health, morale and motivation also impact on your employer, for example, in terms of productivity.

Improving Balance

Organizations have a clear role in ensuring a healthy work-life balance for their employees.

Putting suitable policies in place, looking at job roles and the physical environment, adjusting work patterns, providing flexible working and ensuring employees take breaks.

Strategies for Work/Life Balance

Be efficient with your time at work

When you face a big project at work do not procrastinate. Start by dividing it into smaller tasks.

Complete the first task before moving onto the next. Give yourself small rewards upon each completion. If you feel overwhelmed talk to your boss. The less time you spend doing busy work or

procrastinating, the more time you can spend with family.

Be efficient with your time at home

Divide and conquer. Make sure responsibilities at home

are evenly distributed and clearly outlined.

This will help avoid problems in the future

Separating Home and Work

Allow time at the end of the working day to make any lists for the following day and then draw a line under the current day’s work.

Do not check emails from home.

Separating Home and Work

Your life outside work has many different aspects. Identify what you would like to do and set realistic goals, then treat these goals as if they are set in stone.

Ensure your plan is achievable — do not aim to do everything in one week.

Another strategy is to book some time off or plan a vacation away.

Look after your health

Healthier lifestyle can give you the foundations to deal better with stressful situations.

Adopting a routine that incorporates regular exercise, healthy eating and getting sufficient sleep.

Learn to say no

Are you someone who is always taking on more work?

If you feel put on the spot, ask for more time.

Then review whether or not the work is a priority for you, and whether you can complete it.

If yes, Determine how to manage it effectively and what you can drop or move from your existing commitments.

If it is unrealistic, say no.

Does it have to be perfect?

How much time do you spend on each task. Often, the most important thing is that a job is

done. You should be able to make judgements about what work is good enough and what really does need to be perfect.

At home, for example, you might have a ready-made meal occasionally rather than one you have made from scratch.

Reflect

To help put events into perspective, imagine looking back on your life and picture what you would think — would it be “thank goodness I cleaned those kitchen cupboards”?

Take regular breaks

Breaks are important for your well-being and the safety of patients in your care. Breaks also help you remain alert and focused.

Not taking a break can detract from your well-being and productivity and, in turn, have negative effects for your organization and patients.

Take your lunch break, move around, change position and, where possible, change activity to help prevent long-term problems.

Ask for help

Make sure there are people around you who can give you support.

Asking for help may not always be easy -but it can offer a solution.

People are often only too happy to help.

It is also a good idea to ask if someone can cover some of your duties when you are off work.

Raise the issue

Organizational constraints or demands are creating problems, consider involving your colleagues to work out a solution. Think about raising issues with managers when expectations are excessive. You should also ensure senior staff are aware of pressures — they can only address problems that they know about.

Not a quick fix

Taking the advice from this presentation and incorporating it into your life will not guarantee you have a perfect work-life balance. However, it may help you begin to tip the scales in the right direction.

Well Being Index

American Pharmacist Association The Well-Being Index, invented by Mayo Clinic Partnered in the fight against burnout with the

creation of the Pharmacist Well-Being Index Anonymously assess well-being and evaluates

multiple dimensions of distress

Well Being Index

Assess your current level of well-being Compares to other pharmacists Track changes over time Gain access to resources to promote your well-

being and address a variety of concerns

Time Management

Everyone has the same amount of time

Some manage it better than others

24 hours

1,440 minutes

86,400 seconds

KAHOOT! What are your time management strategies?

What Many Do for Time and Work Management

Example of To Do List

Strategies for Optimizing ‘To Do List’

Organize by Priority

Use a tool to manage ‘to do list’

Organize by Day, Week, Month, Year Daily list should include only 2 – 3 items

Eisenhower Matrix

Eisenhower Matrix

-TSHP Presentation-Valentine’s Day present and phone call

- Routine PCP Visit

- Plan Summer Vacation

- Drew’s braces- Revise syllabus

- Wash Car- Bake cake for

coworker- Massage

- Time Sheet- Check for

Expired Meds- Return Library

Books- Reserve

classroom

What is important is seldom urgent

and

what is urgent is seldom important

Apps for To Do List

nTask

Wunderlist

Microsoft To-Do

Eisenhower

Apps for To Do List nTask (free but Pro version is not) – individual or

team use, monitor team progress, set up conference meetings, create progress reports, timeline, Gnatt charts

Wunderlist (free but Pro version is not) – user friendly, share with family and friends, due dates or even reminders, filter tasks and keep track of your schedule, compatible with all devices

https://www.ntaskmanager.com/blog/best-to-do-list-apps/#wunderlist

Apps for To Do List Microsoft To-Do (free) – cloud-based, integrates

with Office 365, developed by team behind Wunderlist

Eisenhower (free web based, iphone app is not) - focus mode, counts tasks, schedule and delegate, prioritize by urgent and important

https://www.ntaskmanager.com/blog/best-to-do-list-apps/#wunderlist

Have you every Procrastinated?

Procrastination is an active process of choosing to do something else instead of what you should be doing

First thing in the morning do the thing that will have Biggest impact on achieving your goals Most likely to procrastinate about

If you have more than one ‘frog’ Eat the ‘ugliest’ one first

Eat that Frog - Procrastination

Eat that Frog - Procrastination

Make your daily to-do lists the night before Consider different to-do lists

Daily Weekly Monthly

Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work

How to Approach The ‘Frog’

Salami Slice method Cut a big task down to small slices Lay out the task in detail and then resolve to do just one slice

of the job for the time being

Swiss Cheese method Punch a hole in the task, like a hole in a block of Swiss cheese.

You Swiss cheese a task when you resolve to work for a specific time period

Do a five-minute part of the job and do only that (regularly)

Overcome Procrastination: 4D system

Delete it

Delegate itDo it now

Defer

Case Study

Alejandra was the leader of a busy, satellite pharmacy team, with constant and urgent demands on her time.

She knew that she needed to spend some time planning the implementation of a particular hospital policy in her satellite pharmacy, but it was very hard to set aside the time.

What should she do? Kahoot!

KAHOOT!

During an employee evaluation, James, one of her team, expressed his desire to do some more strategic and managerial work to build up his skills.

Alejandra saw an opportunity for both of them. She offered the opportunity to prepare the initial paper on implementing the policy.

James jumped at the chance, and produced an excellent, well-thought-through paper which was a great foundation for further work.

Alejandra needs to implement a new policy

Management of Emails

Emails consume an enormous time Most productive part of the day is in morning Set aside time to manage email

10:30 AM and 4 PM (set alarms) Take action immediately Organize your inbox with labels and folders Use your filters and unsubscribe to unwanted

promotional emails

Apps to monitor time usage

Rescue TimeFocus BoosterTogglEvernote

Apps for Monitoring Time UsageRescue Time FocusBooster Toggl

Cost Lite (free) and paid plans Free trial Free and paid

plans

Tracks usage Yes Yes Yes

Set goals Yes Yes Yes

Reports Yes Yes Yes

Notes

Set alerts to notify you once a time limit has been reached

Pomodoro technique; data

export

Allows multiple projects

Big Points

Make To-Do List night before

Only 3 things on it listed from highest priority to lowest priority

Work on first item, first thing in the morning

DON’T CONFUSE QUANTITY FOR QUALITY

There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the

most important thing