02
Jul
This week I have been having family time in Legoland!!!!!! I think togetherness is a very important ingredient to family life. Since we have been home on the farm the four of us are content with each other’s company.
As usual TInky made her quote of the week, ‘Dad you are fun when we get you off the farm!’
On the flight home it did get me thinking: you often read in the posh papers about work-life balance. Being a farmer, it is hard to separate the work and life as they are the same thing.
I am guilty of being a work acholic, but there is nothing like kids to make you realise why you work, I need to learn how to work to live not live to work!
Work plays a significant part in all our lives. Our earnings ensure that the lights stay on, there’s food on the table and the rainy-day pot is full. But these days we often lose sight of the simple things that make you happy. Dad always said your belly is full, you are dry, and your family are around you what more do you need!
It is no easy task to achieve work-life balance especially when you are a farmer! Social media is my biggest hate (says he who has a blog!) I think this should be a topic in its own right!! But I will say that social media, muddles the water when you want to separate work from our personal lives.
I googled more reasons why work-life balance is important:
Fewer health problems
‘When we are stressed and over-worked, we run the risk of jeopardising more than just our social lives – our physical and mental health is in danger too.’
This is a topic very close to home! Rachel (Farmer’s Wife) realised when she hit a brick wall that her work – life scales were not balances and she urgently need to correct it. She left her professional career behind and focussed on me and the monkeys!!! Although financially it was a scary move, from a health perspective it has been the best thing ever, without your health you have nothing!
More engagement – Banter
‘Having an engaged workforce will lead to your people going ‘the extra mile’ for you and becoming loyal advocates for your brand and product. This is evidenced by Temkin Group, who suggest that “engaged staff are 2.5 times more likely to stay at work late if something needs to be done after the normal workday ends.”’
It is true though if people are happy in their work, usually from being rewarded and given the time at home to enjoy the reward they will repay you in loyalty. Which on a farm is essential, you can’t always get in your car at 5 and drive off if a cow is calving then you may need to stay behind or find 5 minutes to inform someone else to watch her!
Less “burnouts”
‘The inability to separate work from home will massively increase the chances of a burnout, so it is important to encourage your team to take time off and “leave work at work.”’
I am a walking burn out, but it is hard to leave work at work when home is work!! Another one of Dads wise words which I often like to think about is, if it is alive there is always tomorrow!
I think I speak for all my fellow farmers that we choose to farm though passion and sometimes this is our biggest weakness.
More mindfulness
‘When we find, and sustain a healthy work-life balance, we develop a greater control over our focus and ability to concentrate on the task at hand – this is known as mindfulness. Wouldn’t you prefer a team that is fully focused on whatever they are doing, instead of worrying about work/home?’
All I know about mindfulness is what Rachel taught me after a course she and her mum went on, it was to take 10 minutes each day, sit, shut your eyes and bat away all thoughts good and bad, I laughed, but when I tried it, it worked so I now try to do it every (other) day (week).
So I carried on reading to see how I improve my Farm-Life balance:
- time off: Tick – Legoland
- short breaks throughout the day – Tick – Tea breaks are a given on the farm
- ask friends for guidance: Tick – they tell me every day
Practice what you preach: Hmmmmmm I promise to keep trying 😊
Weather – Hot Hot Hot
Farmer Al needs Rain Rain Rain
Farmer Al wore shorts & flip flops!!!!!! The flash was turned off for this image as the glare was too much