HR are the chameleons of the office, responding to the different cultures, needs and demands of employees and their managers. They combine strategy, law, policy-making, administration, diplomacy and empathy to build and maintain strong relationships with all other departments.
To achieve a balanced lifestyle, it is important to have a variety of activities that fit into your personal schedule and family situation. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Get some instant satisfaction. It can sometimes take years or months to resolve complicated, challenging issues in HR, which can be draining of energy. An antidote to this is to find things to do that are distracting of your stresses and which give you a sense of reward. For example, cooking a meal, gardening, laughing at comedies or high energy physical activities.
2. Be mindful of good sleep and rest. The quality of our sleep, as a nation, is getting work. The range of pressures and demands in our daily lives makes it harder to empty our minds and get ready for sleep. Technology also intrudes into every waking moment.
All of us have a duty to ourselves to work harder to rest our minds. Even if you’re not ready for the more formal idea of meditation, it’s important to be more mindful of the here and now, and learn to listen to what our body and stress levels are saying about our state of mind.
3. Mix with others. Get involved with other people (or animals) – whether that’s playing with children, helping out with older relatives or caring for pets. It provides a way of putting your own worries into perspective. Given how often HR work can involve negative emotions surrounding conflict and discipline, socialising is a good way of being part of emotional situations which are much more positive and reassuring.
4. Find alternative challenges. Switching off in front of the TV, stretched out on the sofa isn't the most effective way of replenishing energy. Being able to wholly immerse yourself in something that you’re passionate about releases endorphins, which act as antidotes to the stress hormones.
Be as committed and loyal and to your time away from work as you are to your time at work.