Page 16 - Crossroads: September 2015 | Issue 9

Smita Bhoyarkar
Senior Specialist, Americas Model Risk Management Risk Management Division for the Americas
New York, NY
MUFG provides many opportunities to maintain work-life balance. My favorites are volunteer activities and the Employee Resource Groups. To spend quality time with my family and do something meaningful at the same time, we volunteer together at various bank-sponsored events.
One way to manage stress is to practice mindfulness. I am part of the bank’s Mind- fulness Group, which enables me to put my passion for mindfulness into practice. It doesn’t eliminate the stress, but I become aware of emotions and judgments and am better able to separate them from the actual task. I also practice meditation in the morning and at night. I switch off all the electronic devices and concentrate on my breathing. It was difficult at first, but simply acknowledging restless thoughts helps them to go away and relaxes me. I am also lucky to have a manager and a good role model, Vinaya Khobragade, who encourages work-life balance.
Denys Duffy
Managing Director, Marin North Bay Region Consumer and Business Bank
Berkeley, CA
Work-life balance does not mean equal balance, and over time it may vary dramati- cally. Wasting time, be it on pointless or less constructive activities, will always unbal- ance you. I have misspent time when I labored on endlessly to come up with the perfect telemarketing script, not admitting that whoever would use the script would alter the words to make them their own. Keep it simple, forgo perfectionism, and trust others to create their own masterpiece.
Enlightened use of technology is a key to better align work-life balance. Batch email responses at the most opportune time and be certain to unplug so you can truly unwind. The importance of daily exercise and reflection can never be underesti- mated. For me this is best done without so much as a watch on, let alone a cell phone — hiking in the hills, sometimes with my wife and children, but always with our faithful dog.
Berta Vassaur
Branch Service Officer, Central Coast Division Consumer and Business Bank
Fillmore, CA
Work and home life are both necessary, and both should be fulfilling and satisfying. I am lucky in that I love my job! So how do I balance it with my home life? Through planning and positive thinking I’m able to create a meaningful balance that works for me.
I had the pleasure of working with a manager who shared her secret for success with me. She called him “Bob.” No, the secret for success was not a man. “Bob” was the name she gave her daily planner. I learned to prioritize by making daily lists. I felt accomplished and organized. I started incorporating that same plan at home and as a result had more time to spend with my family.
Balance comes from perspective and a sense of what really matters. For me it’s family and a positive attitude.
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