Get Well Wednesday: Why A Work-Life Balance Is Good For You

Better known as America’s Psychologist, Dr. Jeff Gardere is one of the most widely sought-after experts in the field of mental health. In addition to having a private practice in Manhattan, he is an Assistant Professor and Course Director at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City, an Adjunct Assistant Professor at City College, NYC, an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Touro Graduate School of Psychology, NYC., and a Visiting Faculty member at American University of Antigua College of Medicine.

Dr. Gardere is a frequent contributor to:

MSNBC (official contributor)
NBC Today Show (official contributor)
FOX Network
FOX 5 News (official contributor)
CBS News
ABC News
WPIX News

The author of several books, popular and research articles, Dr. Jeff is prominently featured in White House Correspondent April Ryan’s new book The Presidency In Black And White, providing a psycho-political analysis on our last 3 presidents. Dr. Jeff is the featured and chief contributor to the Reelz Network shows, They Got Away With It and Celebrity Damage Control, the chief psychological correspondent for The Roland Martin Show on News One. He’s also appeared on Love and Hip Hop and The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

From The Telegraph (U.K.):

· The use of mobile phones and laptops increasingly ‘blurred’ the boundaries between work and home life ‘causing work-family conflict’ the authors concluded. This happened because it is important to have a distinct separation between home and work life. Working 10-12 hours a day as most of us do should be followed by rest and relaxation for body and mind to rejuvenate, but also to “work” at parenting and marriages.

· The overall amount of time which is actually spent with one’s family and with engagement in self-related activities is reduced by (mobile phone and laptop) use,” the report found. This is part of our IT addiction. If the device is open and available, we are drawn to use it, because it is a live link to the world! Too tempting!
· The researchers discovered that workers increasingly face a strong expectation to be available 24/7 and few feel able to switch off. But we should be aware that we do have the power to set limits with employers. But what is most interesting is that many employees actually self-impose these expectations do to fear, worry, or even a workaholic behavior.

· Those suffering from the biggest metal overloads were found to make riskier decisions without considering the consequences of their actions, because they are more impulsive, less stable and much more aggressive. They can’t turn it off!!!!!

Dr. Gardere answers your mental question questions if you click over.

How does working too much impact mental health?

When you are working too hard or too much, not only does your body begin to wear down, but your emotional system begins to diminish. That means that you will be much more susceptible to stress, resulting in fatigue, appetite and sleep disturbances, just to name a few. That’s why it is important that you take care of your body and your mind at the same time. It’s okay to work hard, but it is also important to sleep well, eat healthy, exercise and get some relations!

What if you have a job that calls for you to be on call 24/7 and that job turns out to be, at times, a 7-day-a-week job and you’re working that job because the monetary gain is substantial?

Well you have to begin to ask yourself, when does financial gain begin to impact your health? And what is more important to you…being wealthy and sick, or staying healthy, which is worth its weight in gold! So I totally understand the need for money, but you have to know when to pull back or you may work your way into an early grave. Remember you can’t take the money with you!!

How are children affected by all of this?

As parents, we are working harder than we ever have before. There are no more 9-to-5 jobs, now it’s usually a 12-hour day. As much as we want to say our children are resilient and are able to live their own lives, the reality is that children need us to be in their lives to guide and love them. I have seen many families where parents worked very hard for their children, but their family lives began to fall apart and everything they worked for to benefit their children went to waste, because the kids were left alone and got into trouble. It is about finding the right work-life balance so that you can earn a good living to take care of your children and family but you must also do the hard work of being present for them physically and emotionally.

How do I get back the time I lost when blocked from living my dreams, simply living my life, by a group of criminals? How do I trust and live again to the fullest?

You haven’t really specified what you have gone through, so I can only guess that you were a victim of a crime. The reality is that bad things happen to good people and you have the option of either being a victim for the rest of your life, or using that horrific event to reassess and come out of it better and stronger than ever before. It is important that you get psychological help as you go through this process. At the end of all of this, you don’t want to live a life of regret because of the crime perpetrated against you, you want to use it as rocket fuel for personal growth. What doesn’t kill you can make you stronger.

Hi, Doc. My boss comes to work 2-3 hours after me (government flex time) and frequently waits until 2- 2.5 hours before I’m scheduled to leave before discussing a major project or giving me a new assignment and then expects me to stay late. How can I break her of this habit once and for all? She is frequently on the phone on personal calls throughout the day also. Thank you!

Just because she is your boss does not mean that she can run a Machiavellian shop; in other words do whatever she pleases with you. Don’t personalize the situation. She probably does it to other people and it appears to be part of her management style. You are within your rights to set boundaries and ask her both in a professional and kind manner to give you the assignments much sooner in the day. Let her know it will be to her advantage because you will have more quality time to work on the project versus rushing through it so that you can get home at a reasonable hour.

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Get Well Wednesday: Dr. Jeff Gardere Answers Your Mental Health Questions - Page 2 was originally published on blackamericaweb.com