What Are Our Daily Struggles & Celebrations?

Each day, whether we are consciously aware of it or not, we are presented with moments of challenge and triumph.

With the wellbeing of employees of paramount importance, we need to ask ourselves how we can best support individuals and organizations with their everyday struggles and celebrations; this is the driving force behind the Balanced Wellness Centre.  

When we talk about daily struggles, we mean those common occurrences that cause us to feel stressed, frustrated, overwhelmed, anxious, unmotivated, even angry or resentful. 

In this Two-Part Article, we’ll identify some of the most common struggles facing today’s workforce (we promise to lighten things up next month in Part Two). In recognizing these daily struggles we can begin to understand how to support the wellbeing of those in our care and the wellbeing of our workplace as a whole. 

Let’s take a look at some of the main culprits:

Work-Life Balance: No surprise here. Let’s not pretend that whatever is happening personally isn’t showing up in some way at work, and vice versa. Balancing professional and personal life can be challenging. With all the roles one plays in a day (employee, parent, caregiver, etc) it’s no wonder this contributes to significant stress and burnout. 

Mental Health Challenges: With statistics showing that by age 40, about 50% of the population will have or have had a mental illness* ,we must acknowledge the effects of mental health in everyday life. Issues such as anxiety and depression significantly affect overall well-being, including personal and professional performance. 

Physical Health Challenges: Dealing with aches and pains brought about by any number of factors; daily wear and tear, medical issues, chronic pain, aging, hormonal shifts, etc. These challenges can affect a myriad of issues including mobility, sleep, and motivation, contributing in turn to personal and professional performance.

Communication Issues: 97% of workers say communication impacts their task efficiency on a daily basis**. Poor communication within teams, management, and other interpersonal relationships can lead to misunderstandings, wasted time, talent and resources,  and reduced confidence and productivity, to name a few.

Lack of Recognition: A little (quantified and sincere) recognition goes a long way both personally and professionally. People often feel disengaged when their efforts are not acknowledged or rewarded. 

Diversity and Inclusion Challenges: Feeling a sense of belonging is crucial to the human experience. Issues related to diversity and inclusion can lead to a lack of belonging, trust, engagement and collaboration.

Overwhelm & Burnout: Feeling that there is not enough time, resources, goals, or clarity,  combined with ample work, unrealistic expectations, and condensed timeframes can contribute to burnout, dissatisfaction, confusion, frustration and stagnancy. 

Lack of Flexibility: Inflexible schedules and  resistance to remote work, for example,  can affect work-life balance and job satisfaction.

All this being said, it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, it’s reasonable to expect most people would identify with at least one (likely many) of the struggles identified here. And that’s the point; these are the challenges we face, often on a daily basis. These struggles can feel all-consuming, or like death by a thousand paper cuts, but there are tons of great, reliable resources and trained professionals that can help. 

For resources on these everyday struggles, we recommend the following these Experts by category:

Work-Life Balance: Lauren Hundert, haze schepmyer 

Mental Health Challenges, Communication Issues, Diversity & Inclusion Challenges: Julie A. Christiansen, M.A., R.P.

Physical Health Challenges: Fariya Doctor, scot fisher, Dr. Geoff Gamble, DC, Dip.Ac. Karen Tausendfreund

Lack of Recognition: Danielle Joworski, Robbie Spier Miller

Overwhelm & Burnout: Robbie Spier Miller, Lauren Hundert   

Lack of Flexibility: Erika MacKay   

Stay tuned for Part 2 next month, when we explore daily Celebrations!

For more information on how The Balanced Wellness Centre can support you and your team with daily struggles and celebrations, please contact us anytime: contact@balancedwellnesscentre.ca

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Sources

*Canadian Mental Health Association

**Brosix