Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/697470
BY NATE ROWLAN TRAINING MANAGER F inding work-life balance in the transportation industry almost seems like a laughable concept. Believe me, I have had the distinctive pleasure of bringing the topic up in meetings with both executives, and truck drivers. I get about the same response from both groups: "P#####%, hahahahaha!" Regardless of the response, it's a topic that we can't ignore, and can't leave for people in some distant Utopian future to resolve. !ere is both a psychological toll, as well as long term physical consequences for the cardiovascular and immune system when this balance is out of whack. For most, the pendulum does not swing in the direction of us enjoying life too much. We'd get $red. !e balancing act is typically on the end of the work invading every aspect of our personal life. It's a phenomenon that is only increasing over time as the role of technology increases. We're always connected, always getting emails, texts, alerts, noti$cations, calls, pings, and yes, even tweets. !e problem is also compounding as mental fatigue and stress begins to a#ect the physical body. So, how do we achieve work-life balance in this industry? To address this, I'd like to share with you the last stanza of the poem, "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley: It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. I believe to achieve balance we start by taking ownership of our life, of our fate, and of our well-being. It's OK to unplug from everything. Robert Brooks, a professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, states that "there are times when you should just shut your phone o# and enjoy the moment." Determining when and where you will work ultimately comes down to you. Are all late night messages urgent? Do you really need to send that text during your kid's recital? Do you really need to have the phone next to you at dinner? An Englishman, the Greeks, and Cowboy Logic: Finding Work-Life Balance in the Transportation Industry 16 IT MAGAZINE Vo l . 1 0 , N o . 4