Modern day life is lived in the fast lane - everything is now available at the touch of a button, food & consumer goods are delivered right to our door, a workplace can be anywhere and yet we seem to have less time for family and leisure. A paradox?
Not really – Nowadays we have become accustomed to being reachable & available everywhere and at anytime. Accessibility to emails is no longer an issue: tablets, cell phones and even watches.
“Home office” days are becoming part of the norm but for many, on those days, we feel as if we have neither worked to our full potential, nor felt completely at “home”.
According to Wikipedia, work-life balance is defined as “the balance that an individual needs between time allocated for work and time allocated to other aspects of life”.
These terms may seem new, coming to the fore in the last decade or so but actually the term “work – life balance” was first used in the 1970’s? Sadly, instead of improving over the years, the situation has steadily gotten worse. Statistics show that at least 20 % of employees working in some of the world’s top companies are not satisfied with their work – life balance. Around 45 % of people working in business development areas are called for work matters during their off time.
The problem exists so there should be a solutions - “6 tips for better work – life balance”, “10 ways to encourage work-life balance”, “How to be effective, working from home” are just a few of the many articles, TED videos and advice available from professional coaches, business gurus out there.
But are these options really possible? How many of us can afford to take this route? And is this “a choice for the new generation” or this is applicable to all, no matter the age, gender, or profession?
A survey carried out by the Harvard Business School discovered that "94% of employed professionals reported working more than 50 hours per week and nearly half stated they worked more than 65 hours per week". Reacting to this survey, Forbes magazine provided 6 tips to achieve a better work – life balance:
- Let go of Perfectionism
- Unplug
- Exercise & meditate
- Limit time-wasting activities & people
- Change the structure of your life
- Start small & Build from there
Many of us would stop at number 1 or laugh at number 2. But what are these points trying to tell us?
Simple → Family! That’s what it’s all about.
We all work hard for our families – and sometimes this means travelling a lot. During our events many of our delegates share that they cannot even remember how many business trips they’ve been on in the past year – and time away means time away from our families and loved-ones.
At Euro Petroleum Consultants we strongly believe in getting that Work-Life balance right and as a result we asked ourselves what we could implement at our events to help?
This year’s International Downstream Week (27-29 May 2019) will once again provide delegates with the expected high quality content – a result of 20+ years of experience, a technical programme prepared by our consultants who work in the industry just like you do, strategic outlooks from leading consultants and the popular dynamic exhibitors showcase session.
But not only – this year we have selected a venue and location which is ideal to bring your family with you and enjoy some quality downtime together.
The venue has top quality conference facilities combined with a family friendly setting and superb amenities. Our families will be well catered for with great activities & entertainment whilst we enjoy the 3-day conference event.
The location - the south coast of Sardinia, the venue – The Forte Village Resort – coincidentally named by Forbes as one the ‘World’s Leading Resorts”.
We look forward to being able to welcome you and your families :) to this year’s International Downstream Week – IDW 2019 – co-hosted by Saras.