Life Work Balance….Life Work Balance….Does it Exist?!Does it Exist?!

Life Work Balance….Life Work Balance….Does it Exist?!Does it Exist?!

Dr Sunita Maheshwari ABP, ABPC (USA)Dr Sunita Maheshwari ABP, ABPC (USA)““Dancing Doctor”Dancing Doctor”

and and ““Chief Dreamer”Chief Dreamer”

“Hudhudijeev”Circa 1995: 16 hour days, ‘ ON ’ 24/7

Advice from my Mom “Don’t bother having kids !!”

Circa 2015: Heart Doctor, Dreaming up Companies, Writing Books and Articles, Running 2 Trust funds, sitting at Tennis courts, 8 hours of sleep…..

Adventures in the Quest for Work -Life Balance

My 1st Job in India: 1999

The Macho Cath LabInterventions, adrenaline-traditionally considereda male job-only they can take the stress and the heat!

Me: trained at Yale to do them, felt I was as good ;or Better ;)

Techs would not call me when case was starting,

Rounds starting at 7 pm after 2 hour coffee/smoking session

Hung in there, worked hard:

New hospital- Make me a consultant & then I’ll move!

Learning:In the work place

• Stick to your guns politely• Don’t allow them to make you give up

your core competence and do things you are overqualified for

• Prove yourselves at the things you are overqualified and under qualified for

• Be honest enough to admit when you’re wrong-you’ll be appreciated for it

• Hang in there!

My next work place: 2000-2010

• Macho men• 12-16 hour work days• No help, solo pediatric cardiologist

in a busy hospital

Why are the kids at the hospital more important than

mine?• Ultimatum-Wednesdays off, hire

another doc to help• “Your career will never progress if you

continue this parenting nonsense”!• ‘Before when I came home from school

there was darkness now there is light’

Learning: In the quest for success don’t lose the ones you love.

Decide to spend time with the ones you

love….and you will find a way

• Bus rides to Bijapur• Toys outside the cath lab• Doodling in a corner of the clinic room• Playgrounds installation-took them along• Karunashraya teaching program-took ‘em along

Neocon, ChitradurgaFort Chitradurga

What is Life-Work balance?

• Essentially enjoying work, kids, family, friends

• without stress (gray hairs) and • in addition….making space for

‘oneself’

Medically speaking….

Stress Increases…BP increases…

• Look at nature, listen to music, read, massages, quiet time, change your routine, limit caffeine, drink green tea, laugh!

Something NEW everyday

• Inner circle playground, coconut on the roadside, buy bananas and give to a poor kid, glass of lassi and sit on the window-sill, call an old friend

Aim For 30 minutes of

moderate intensity exercise a day

• Take the stairs

• Spend a few minutes of your lunch break taking a stroll around the campus grounds.

• If you have a family, schedule an after-dinner walk. Make it quality time

Sleep…Do we need it?

• Too little sleep raises blood pressure risk – a study

– Reuters, Mon Jun 8, 2009

Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked

by your GP

• Don’t pooh pooh those health checks

• They may save your life

Life-Work Balance….

Tips to Combine Work and Family

Don’t Ask Why?

• Why a family?– We all need a little TLC– One doesn’t have to have one or the

other-they’re not mutually exclusive

• Why work ?– You have to love it and want it– Not wonder if you’re doing the right thing

How I made my family feel I cared ; while

I worked ?• Made sure at least one meal together.• Called if late; Reliable; Shared plans• Did special little things: Light a candle

together, hold hands and do a prayer at dinner, cuddle under the blanket for 5 minutes in the morning, plan a trip.

• BIG HUGS !!

Making memories: What do we remember?Experiences, not things

Rules with the kids1) Never show guilt.2) When home, give them your all3) At work, call once a day4) No post work grumpiness5) Ask for space when you need it

HOW is the Toucan relevant to Humans?

• BOTH parents look after the young ones!!

Friends: Make the time• ‘You are sooooo busy’……..• Be there when they are sick/down• Make the time for important

events• ‘Late but there’!

……….Who has time for that?

Romance?

We take for granted those we love the most

“The alcove”Hold hands, hug every morning

Check into Radha!Meet for coffee before heading home

etc etc

Simplify Life at Home• Hire help• A little dust never hurt anyone!• LO cuisine ie leftovers• Forget the dhanya leaves on the dhal• Involve kids, spouses in the household

chores.• Trying to keep the house clean when the

kids are young is like trying to shovel the driveway while it is still snowing

Hire Help• But remember they need life work

balance too!!

The to do list• Decide the night before the must do

items for the next day; visualise time needed

• Put down my ideas so they don’t get lost in the Universe

• Give myself measurable goals…short term, for the month, for the year

Efficiency

Delegate but doublecheck

Made technology my slave, not the other

way around.

• Family time in the evenings, con call/emails post this

• Cut travel…use video conferencing• Reduced meetings and paper….used email…,,,,go

green• E-classes

Use ‘Time’ Effectively• Walk with Hubby in am-exercise plus catch up chat• Emails in the car or at tennis court• Catch up with friends while in car, at airport, at a

tournament• Focused time on job at hand- eg dedicated email

time, meetings with agendas-not rambling, learnt from forum.

• Worked on this presentation on “Lufthansa” flight back home! ;-)

And finally….Do Good…..

It makes Life Complete

How does One Begin?

• Make ONE change in your life At A Time….

Thank you!