Life Work Balance…. Life Work Balance…. Does it Exist?! Does it Exist?! Dr Sunita Maheshwari ABP, ABPC Dr Sunita Maheshwari ABP, ABPC (USA) (USA) “ “ Dancing Doctor” Dancing Doctor” and and “ “ Chief Dreamer” Chief Dreamer”
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’
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
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
Friends: Make the time• ‘You are sooooo busy’……..• Be there when they are sick/down• Make the time for important
events• ‘Late but there’!
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
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! ;-)