Keep CALM and carry on - work/life brilliance

The way in which we work has changed considerably over the last 12 months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one thing that we all hope to achieve, whether we work from home, in an office or out on the front line, is a good work/life balance.

But what exactly does work-life balance mean?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, work-life balance is “the division of one's time and focus between working and family or leisure activities.”

It is easy to let work take priority over all other aspects of our lives. Many of us have a desire to succeed in our chosen career path and this can all too easily mean that our personal lives, be it our families, hobbies or social lives, are suffer as a result.

However, this imbalance can soon cause havoc with our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, which ironically, can then directly affect our productivity in the workplace.

Health and wellbeing has become more of a priority for employers in recent years, with many organisations recognising the importance of offering more support for employees, providing a culture of openness that also supports the benefits of a work-life balance.

Here at CommUNIty Chesterfield, we work with a number of charities and organisations whose aim is to provide support for those who may be experiencing mental and emotional well-being struggles, including Rethink Mental Illness and their Derbyshire Borderline Personality Support Group, Derbyshire Mind, DORA 2017, Relate and P3.

To support this, we are excited for our next series of our successful Training and Tea workshops, which will be delivered by Sarah Markham from Calm In A Box.

Sarah, who has an accredited coaching qualification from Henley Business School, will be sharing her expertise and advice about how to find calm when our lives today are often so full of busyness, overwhelm, stress and anxiety.

She actually takes the concept of work-life balance to the next level by focussing on ‘work-life brilliance’, which is about developing a culture of wellbeing at work that enables people to be at their best to deliver optimum performance.

Roles at all levels now demand more discretionary skill sets - creativity, innovation, decision making and emotional intelligence – which can be transferrable both to your work and personal life to help unlock your full potential.

All of Sarah’s work at Calm In A Box is underpinned by the CALM model:

·       Connect with me.

·       All of me matters.

·       Let me have time for rest and recovery.

·       Motivate and inspire me to take care of myself and others.

This model, which will be discussed in detail during her workshops, was created from extensive research into what helps people become more resilient and deal more effectively with stress and anxiety. It also helps to develop a life or a culture in the workplace, which supports better wellbeing for themselves and for others.

With many years of experience delivering behavioural and culture change across a range for organisations, as well as coaching leaders and executives, Calm In A Box brings together her core purpose with her professional expertise.

Sarah’s  45 minute Training and Tea sessions will be taking place for four weeks every Wednesday at 9.15am, beginning on 21st April with the final session on 12th May. The sessions will provide a fantastic opportunity to equip yourself with tools to help you or your organisation to achieve a more harmonious balance between working life and personal life.

The sessions are open to anyone working or volunteering in the charity or voluntary sector within Chesterfield, as well as students and members of staff from the University of Derby who live in, work in or care about Chesterfield.

Visit our Eventbrite page to find out more and reserve your place!