Counselling Sydney Archives | Partnership for Growth

Five strategies for a healthy work-life balance

Are you among the 52% of employees in Australia who think their work-life balance is average or downright poor? According to recent data from Employment Hero’s Wellness Report 2022, there are a lot of us who are struggling to maintain a healthy balance and are feeling the effects of burnout and chronic stress as a result.

Work-life balance is more than a buzzword—it’s a pivotal factor influencing career contentment and overall life satisfaction. Improving your work-life balance can positively affect your mental health, relationships, and even your job performance.

But let’s face it, if fixing the problem were simple, so many of us wouldn’t be suffering. And what works for one person doesn’t work for everyone. That’s why it’s important to tackle the issue from different angles and keep experimenting with strategies until you find what works for you.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Time Management
Use tools like calendar apps and schedulers to organise tasks efficiently. Be discerning about taking on tasks, prioritising essential ones. Actively schedule regular breaks throughout your day to help you recharge and reset.

Prioritise Health and Well-being
Finding the time to cook more nutritious meals, exercise regularly, and get seven to eight hours of sleep every night may seem challenging. But if you invest in your physical health, you’ll be more energetic and resilient, making it easier to manage stress and pressure at work.

Set Boundaries
If you feel like the work is never ending and you’re constantly taking on more than you can handle, then it’s important to set boundaries around work. Identify tasks that fall outside your job description, those you can delegate, and learn how to properly prioritise the rest.

Plan for Downtime
In the pursuit of excellence, employees often sacrifice downtime, believing it will enhance productivity and demonstrate commitment. However, prioritising rest and making time for your hobbies isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. Try setting a consistent finish time at work and sticking to it.

Nurture Positive Working Relationships
Try getting to know your colleagues personally while maintaining professional boundaries. Creating an environment of mutual trust and respect not only minimises workplace conflicts but also improves communication, support, and cooperation among colleagues. Plus, the better you get along with the people you work with, the more you enjoy your work day.

Achieving a healthy work-life balance is a journey, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. If you find yourself struggling or need someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Tomorrows are not promised!

Over the weekend whilst i was preparing this post. I heard about the tragic deaths of 4 children whilst out on their bikes killed by a drunk driver. Prior to that before hearing the news of the helicopter crash that killed 9 people including children & basket ball legend Kobi Bryant and his daughter of 13yrs.

Young lives gone just like that.

It almost didn’t feel right to continue with this post as i reflected on the trauma and emotional pain those families are going through.

However it also made me feel that now is the time to set your intentions for this year and not put it off for another week or a couple of months but to do it now.

What often gets in the way of not getting your stuff done i believe is 3 things – Fear, Procrastination and Perfection.

Let’s look at perfection. “Perfectionism is the refusal to accept any standard short of perfection” striving to achieve this standard however can often leave you feeling frustrated and anxious that you’re not good enough whether it’s at work or even socially.

You’re normally the one setting that bar based on various things social media, family, work pressures or strongly held beliefs. Laced with the fear of not wanting to be judged drives the perfectionism and so the loop continues.

Perfectionism can stop you from taking that first step towards what you want whether it’s completing a task or even starting it – because your mind tells you if it ain’t perfect I’m not going to do it or even attempt it. And if you finally get around to doing it takes forever and your never satisfied.

Imagine if you can put your perfectionist tendencies inside a box and label it “wait there not to be opened” and then get on with the business of living by taking imperfect action daily? I’m sure this will move you in the direction you want to go a lot sooner and quicker than perfection will ever take you. Kobi Bryant was by no means a perfect being far from it, however he’s a good example of keeping on despite his many failures and became a forceful leader in his life and his community. Those children were fearless in taking action daily without hesitation in their pursuit of joy!

I watched the news interview of the father in shock lovingly describing his children’s personalities and how ironically they were on their way to play as a tribute to Kobi.

His words “make sure you love your loved ones because you don’t know….”

Tomorrows are not promised so don’t let perfectionism rob you of that.

Don’t set a single goal without this

Welcome back to a new decade. I hope everyone is ok and that your family and friends have not been affected too much by the bushfires.

Over the holidays I watched an interview with Greta Thunberg’s father. He described his daughter as very unhappy and depressed after learning about the future of the earth with regards to climate changes. At that time she stopped attending school she refused to speak and became quite unwell.

She wanted to make a difference and speak out about how she felt – much to the anguish of her parents who didn’t want her to put herself “out there”. Naturally fearing the worse particularly with her regards to her fragile mental health.

What they didn’t bargain for was Greta’s activism gave her back her ‘life’ and ‘purpose’ goals to achieve and a future to fight for. And It is this strong sense of purpose that drives her as the young person we see today.

Her father now describes a very different person to the one above in my opening paragraph. In a twist of irony far from becoming more disturbed and depressed (particularly with the negative attention she has been receiving)

Greta has flourished and has become a “normal” teenager again one who wants to learn attend school and enjoy life.

So what’s the lesson here as we enter a new decade – Jan has become the goal setting resolution month – only to be broken again by the end of Feb!!!

If you’re intent on setting goals please do so with a purpose – ‘Start with a Why’ why are you setting them?

Setting goals that has no meaning or purpose makes you less inclined to want to achieve them.

Therefore my invitation to you is this; don’t set goals unless you have a reason and a purpose that it is tangible and bigger than your everyday.

Hello Christmas – we meet again

I must admit I’m one of those people who actually like Christmas – yes the commercialism of it all irks me as does the obscene amount of spending for just one day – always leaves me feeling guilty. Yet still i indulge.

What I like most is the idea of being ‘forced’ to ‘stop’ down tools and just be still reflecting on the outgoing year or decade which is a big deal.

I am also aware that this time of year can be the loneliest for individuals who have no one thinking about them or to spend time with. It can also be fraught with navigating difficult family relationships particularly if you’ve ‘successfully’ avoided them all year.

So what does this time of year mean to you? How can you make the holiday season more enjoyable and meaningful? Here are 6 suggestions!

1) The gift of giving doesn’t have to be an expensive foray – the giving of your time whether it’s a phone call, (yes i said it a phone call) or popping around to see someone you’ve been meaning to. Or paying attention to a person you care about emotionally.

As you know time is finite you cannot ‘purchase’ more than 24hrs but you can give some of it away to someone in need.

2) Consider inviting someone to share an experience with you, something completely out of their comfort zone e.g helping out in a community kitchen or garden, spending time walking with a group of people that you would not consider ‘their type’. With the hope that they might enjoy it and make it thing to do regularly.

3) Hold a fee paying event at your home and invite a musician or a student artist to perform and donate funds to a charity suggested by your group of friends or neighbours.

4) Have a ‘cook up’ where everyone helps using what you already have in the kitchen and see what you come up with!

5) Hold a Secret Santa with a minimum budget – family members or friends are allowed to re-gift it, to charity with no offence taken or swap it on the day. Be open about it, show gratitude and pass it forward.

6) Finally do nothing at all. Be thankful that you live to see another year and reflect on what 2020 could possibly bring.

All of us here at Partnership for Growth are grateful for your company this year! and we hope that we can inspire you to live an even better 2020 – TAKE CARE BE SAFE see you on the other side!

This is what Anxiety looks like

Jane age 24yr leaves home for work as she normally does following a tight morning regime which helps reduce her anxiety, she works in hospitality. When she arrives there is an announcement that they have been given free tickets to go and see Mamma Mia, they all plan to go as a group that afternoon. Jane immediately calls her mother, the conversation is strained full of tension (she is asking her mother what she should do?) The thought of making a quick decision such as this makes her feel uncomfortable and anxious. Her mother is attempting to help her make a decision, whilst she herself was trying to get on a crowded bus to work. Over the phone Jane says she hates herself and started to cry.

James

James in his mid 30s married with a young family, he works in the city enjoys his job and is making great progress. However he has a new manager and everything changes over night. This manager’s style is completely different to what he has been used to and this has started to affect his performance. On Sunday nights he experiences tightness and nauseousness in his stomach, he becomes irritated and distracted with his young family. On the way to work James feels physically sick to the point of almost vomiting. His confidence and self esteem has plummeted. But he puts on his mask and shoulders on….

George

George is in his late 50s, he has been with his company for years, he is well respected and prides himself on his work ethic and reputation. George has mentored hundreds of employees and is highly regarded. However he harbours a ‘secret’, he hates to make mistakes, has a thing for numbers and checks and re-checks his work several times before submitting it. If he doesn’t do this he becomes unsettled and anxious. Most recently George has started to make mistakes. He was called into the ‘office’ to have a discussion about it. For him this was the ultimate shame and blemish against his character.

These stories are real the outcomes can be read in the blog ‘Counselling support can make a difference’

(Identities have been protected and permission have been sought)

Audrey Morrison-Greet – Partnership for Growth

Counselling support can make a difference

Jane suffers from a form of social anxiety. Any activity that requires her to show up in a social capacity she becomes overwhelmed. In the pass her anxiety has prevented her from keeping a job. She has successfully worked through that with counselling support and is now able to maintain steady employment. In the end Jane decided not to see Mamma Mia that afternoon. She continues to work on her social anxiety with measurable goals and achievable successes.

JAMES

James’s has never experienced the physical manifestations of anxiety to that extend before which caused him a lot of stress. With the right counselling & coaching support he was able to have a difficult conversation with his new manager focusing on his strengths and achievements. As a result he felt listened to which in turn gradually reduced his symptoms.

GEORGE

George felt he was alone in his anxiety and feared that he would be dismissed from the position he had held so fondly for 40 years. He kept this all to himself and felt the only option was to suicide. Prior to George’s ‘mistakes’ he was experiencing headaches but did not tell his family. After counselling support George was encouraged to visit his GP and take a more pro-active approach to his health with the support of his partner. What George learnt was his eyesight was failing him and he couldn’t see details hence the headaches and data entry mistakes he was making. He no longer views suicide as an option and is learning that it’s ok to ask for help and it’s not a human failing.

Anxiety can take many forms, it doesn’t discriminate, it can be an unexpected and it can be triggered by any event that you feel is beyond your control. You don’t have to suffer in silence. Help & support is there.

Coaching and Counselling online

– The Pros and Cons

I occasionally run my life coaching and counselling sessions by skype or phone when my clients are unable to come in for their appointment. Whilst there is an added dimension to face to face conversations, thanks to ever improving technology skype is a reasonable second option with phone coming in third. You can still see each others faces and reactions to conversations with skype but with the added benefit of being situated anywhere on earth with reasonable wifi!

The Pros to having a coaching or counselling session by Skype include:

Flexibility – Busy at work? You can find a meeting room and have your coaching session whilst still only 100 meters from your desk
Convenience – you can have a skype session any time there is availability, you don’t need to wait until you are out and about or on your way home
Free to use – it’s available to you on your computer, laptop, tablet or even phone so you might as well use it to your advantage
Get comfortable – you can stay where you are for example if its raining and still have your coaching session

The Cons to having a coaching or counselling session by Skype include:

You don’t get to visit me in my CBD office, right near the shops
Technology averse clients may need some help with the technology and prefer to run sessions the more traditional way
Wanting the distance – coming out of your comfort zone for a session may help you get clarify from a personal situation

Basically it just comes down to the individual and their preferences. Being someone who travels I embrace any of this technology that allows me to keep in contact with my clients even when back home in the UK for visits.

Skype of course would be my first choice but a good quality phone conversation with someone you know and trust to talk about issues that may be bothering you can also work out well.

If you are interested, we can definitely book you in for a trial session to see what suits you best.

Grief – a delayed response

A very dear friend of mine recently passed away, I was aware of her long term illness but I was not aware it was terminal. So when I received the news I was initially shocked but I felt no emotion e.g. I couldn’t cry. I was more concerned about the details and what had happened. The following day I made a mental note to contact her family and send my condolences. However in the middle of my day I found myself being drawn back to my childhood memories of being at school together and how much of each others lives we shared prior to my move to Australia – and then the flood gates opened. I cried inconsolably and I was racked with guilt and grief at not being there for her in her time of need. When I eventually spoke to her family I could not get through the phone call because of my sorrow.

In counselling we often talk about delayed reactions to grief or a trauma and how it can show up when you least expect it, which is different for everybody. We tried to be in control of those feelings but small triggers, be it music a familiar smell, a photo can bring back those memories, which are now associated with the loss – something that can never be retrieved. I will never see my dear friend again and I have to accept that. Counselling that is compassionate and supportive can help you deal with feelings of loss and grief and eventually come to terms with it.

Partnership for Growth Group

Category: Counselling Sydney