January 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 16

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
Five Keys to Healthy and
Successful Work-Life Balance
By Colton Patak
I
1
t happens to the best of us - we get swept up into our job, whether it be
new or one we've had for years. We want to show our worth and value
to the organization we love so much by working long days that stretch
into late evenings. " Giving your all " has turned into " giving more than
you have. " Most of us interact with dozens of patrons a day, if not more, and
doing so can take a toll on your mental health - especially when some people
are less than kind. Eventually, this can leave us not even wanting to show
up to work some days, or feeling as though we've lost our passion for enriching
our communities. In moments like these, we need to find our balance.
Through these past couple of
years, I have discovered five keys
that have helped me prevent burnout
and keep my passion for parks
and recreation:
Prioritize the separation of
work and personal life. When
I first started to reach burnout, I
felt lost and confused. I loved what
I did, where I worked and who I
worked with, but I found that every
time I got a work notification on
my phone when I wasn't at work,
I would get irritated and angry. It
took me a while to find the cause
of my irritation, until one day my
fiancé suggested I silence the work
apps on my personal phone while
not on the clock. At first, I felt anxious.
I stopped getting notifications
for emails and messages, and I was
terrified the building would burn
down or the world would stop in
the 10 hours I wasn't at work. Over
the coming weeks, the anxiety went
away. No building burnt down, and
the world kept spinning. In my free
time, I felt like I was resting better
and stressing less.
2
Learn when to say, " No. " Saying
" no " does not have to be
disrespectful and can be a way to
create healthy boundaries. Before
you start saying " no, " take a moment
and evaluate your time, mental
stamina and current workload.
Are you already working more
than 40 hours a week? Respectfully
" Giving your all " has
turned into " giving
more than you have. "
decline additional responsibilities
until your available time increases.
Additionally, explain your concerns
to your supervisor and let
them know how they can help you.
3
Take mini-breaks. When you're
feeling stressed or overwhelmed,
take a five-minute breather. Walk
the track, play a game on your
phone, or even go outside and sit
on a bench with a nice cold water
bottle. These mini-breaks are a real
lifesaver on super stressful days.
Give yourself compassion.
Know when to ask for help.
Both of these require you to
4
5
give yourself some slack. What's
more, both require you to admit
you can't do everything, and both
require you to humble yourself.
Giving myself compassion was
surprisingly one of the
hardest
things I had to learn to do. I was
always so hard on myself, blowing
the smallest mistakes out of proportion.
I had to learn that making
a mistake doesn't mean that I
am a failure, and to allow myself
to make mistakes and grow from
them. Coming to that realization
also made me come to terms with
asking for help, sometimes. I had
to accept the fact that I can't do everything
all of the time by myself.
Sometimes, I need help.
Life can become stressful, overwhelming
and scary. Having little to
no work-life balance can increase all
of those feelings, if not be the cause
of it. I suggest everyone implement
these keys into their daily lives to
help improve their mental and physical
health. Often, you'll actually
see an increase in productivity and
quality of your work.
Colton Patak is Sports Coordinator for City
of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural
Arts (colton.patak@ketteringoh.org).
16 Parks & Recreation |
J ANUAR Y 2 0 2 3
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
January 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2023 - Parks & Recreation
