Dr. Nechele McClinton-Gates, University of Central Arkansas

There can be balance! As an individual who has been working in Housing and Residence Life in some capacity since 2008, I, too, have heard the many concerns surrounding the work/life balance in this world. I will also say that I have been a participant and enabler of this world as well. However, it wasn’t until I encountered difficulties and health scares in my family life that I knew some reprioritization had to take place. Specifically, I remember traveling back and forth from Texas to Arkansas to sit beside my sister while she was in her hospital bed after suffering from a Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and as I was spending the little time I had with her, I was also working on sending out Student Staff Offer Letters. Offer Letters…while my sister was in the hospital sick and of course I had to drive back in a short period of time to be on call because being short staff is just part of the gig. After really looking at that situation, I knew I wanted to make a change.

I started to be more efficient and effective during my work hours, so that there was little to no time that I took work home with me. I set boundaries with my staff where I was only contacted if I was on duty or if there was something personal happening in their life. This set the foundation for when I got married, I already had several boundaries set in practice. This was important to me because in order for me to develop the Godly, Kingdom marriage that I desired my husband had to be my number 1 priority. So, balance and boundaries are important because he can’t be my number 1 priority if I am spending an excessive amount of time after hours or during the weekend at work, if I have several non-emergency phone calls/texts during our time together, or if I am being excessive in my bonding time with my work family. Everything can be done in moderation and with balance. It’s just a matter of changing your perspective on what makes you a good employee, what your values are, or what makes you connected to your staff. If that doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to change your location to a space that correlates with your new found values.