Walkway to Work-Life Integration

Table of contents Defining work-life integration 3

What is work-life integration?

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Supporting work-life integration through mindfulness

The continuum of work-life integration 5

Stages of experience

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Spectrum of skills

Multidimensional life 7

Identifying your multidimensional life

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Tips for work-life integration

Get started 9 Resources

What is work-life integration?

How is it different from work-life balance?

“Work-life balance” indicates that there are only two parts to your life, work and life, and that those affect you differently and separately. It also suggests you should strive for equal focus between those two facets, which can lead to feelings of guilt and discontent. We invite you to expand your mindset to the idea of work-life integration and a multi-dimensional life.

LIFE

K R O W Click here to learn more about how the body responds to stress.

“Work-life integration” means working toward a gratifying life experience through a multitude of factors, allowing yourself peace with the decisions made and the liberty to spend your time engaged in things that align with your values and increase feelings of self-worth.

Work-life integration helps create synergy amongst all the dimensions of your life, including family, friends, work, community and well-being. ​

Friends, family, pets

Community and giving back

YOUR BEST LIFE

Health and well-being

Work, career, education

Continue on your journey to learn how mindfulness is a key skill in achieving effective work-life integration.

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Pe

A key component of successful work-life integration is focusing on the

HERE and NOW.

t en

m r

o t b n e o i p s s re i s Mindfulness

is the practice of maintaining a non-judgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions or experiences on a moment-tomoment basis.​A regular mindfulness practice can help you be present in the here and now and more intentional in your work-life integration.

Learning from and letting go of challenges from the past, while moving away from anxieties about the future, will help you focus on the present.​ 4

The continuum of work-life integration When managing elements of their lives, most people can identify as an integrator, a compartmentalizer, or a combination of both. It is important to know that using both integration and compartmentalization skills are necessary for seamless work-life integration. Effective work-life integration can help alleviate feelings of stress and anxiety.

Below is the continuum of integration and compartmentalization - consider spaghetti, lasagna and waffle as metaphors for how you identify when managing elements of your life.

Comfortable answering emails on weekends/evenings

Are elements of your life integrated and others compartmentalized?

Think, LASAGNA

May have certain parts of life that are kept separate, but also may have facets of life that are more permeable

Creates time for social lunches, coffee breaks, or exercise classes during work Finds energy in simultaneously working toward multiple goals

Do you compartmentalize all elements of your life?

Think, WAFFLE

Easily creates realistic boundaries between work- and home-life

Prefers to keep work and personal communications separate

Easily accepting that obligations ebb and flow throughout life

Accomplishes tasks by compartmentalizing competing priorities

COMPARTMENTALIZER

INTEGRATOR

Do you integrate all elements of your life?

Think, SPAGHETTI

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The fluidity of work-life integration​​ Each element of your life is in a different phase and moving along a continuum. At any given time, different elements can be in varying stages. Are you in a new season of life, experiencing a lot of variability? Are you in a more stable environment, working on honing your skills and knowledge? Or, maybe you're at a stage where you feel firm in your identity and skills. Wherever you land along this continuum, know that your experiences continue to change over time.

Here is an example of a career continuum:

VARIABILITY

STABILITY

SOLIDITY

Establishing your identity and approaches

Fine-tuning your approaches based on your established identity

Proficient in skills ​& knowledge

Using knowledge and skills to align with your goals

Established within your team or function

Growing skills and knowledge

Onboarding to your new team • Absorbing new information and practicing skills • Defining what community means to you

Acclimated to your job and working with your team • Becoming a mentor • Cultivating your community and establishing roots

Firm in professional identity​

Confident in your job and skills • Mindfully investing in your community • Educating and mentoring others

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Identifying your multidimensional life What does it look like for you?

A multidimensional life works to seamlessly integrate a variety of factors in your life. Over time, different factors will grow or diminish, and sometimes you will need to focus more one dimension or another. In order to live a more robust, integrated life, you need to be able to identify your values Community and live within them.

and giving back

What are YOUR unique dimensions and values? ... le Ch

LEARN MORE

i eck out th

s

a ex

m

p

Friends, family, pets

YOUR

BEST LIFE

Health and well-being

Work, career, education

Discover your Authentic Self

DOWNLOAD & PRINT

Create your own multidimensional life map

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Tips for

work-life integration Be innovative and work to creatively integrate all parts of your work and life

Engage in regular physical activity

Set healthy boundaries Eat healthy meals

Delegate at work and at home

Practice regular mindfulness

Ask for support; both professionally and emotionally

Do work you enjoy and believe in

Focus on sleep

Act with authenticity

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Walkway to Work-Life Integration how you can get started: • Hear from others on Work-Life Integration and access additional resources • Check out “Discovering Your Authentic Self” within Pathway to Positivity Take time to discover your authentic self • Listen to the following podcast episodes: Work-Life Integration Creating Healthy Boundaries Self-care • Watch the Mindfulness 101 Wellness Class • Connect with My Life Resources

How do you integrate your work and life?

SHARE YOUR ADVENTURE USING

#HOWITHRIVE @healtheatcerner

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