Cancer and Careers often discusses the act of balancing work and cancer. Balancing ultimately translates into how to navigate goals, in your professional and personal life, in a way that works for you.

But there are times when the needs and pressures of your health are outside of your control. So how do you manage professional demands during these times?

Idealist shared an article on creating synergy in work and life, and many of their suggestions align with the practices CAC promotes. Some highlights include:

Set boundaries. Boundaries are incredibly important for maintaining emotional, mental and physical health. Check out our webinar recording on Setting Boundaries for tips and suggestions on setting effective boundaries both at work and at home, then sticking to them! The improved technology that's been implemented into many employee's work lives has also made disconnecting from work more challenging, so it's important to understand and prioritize responsibilities. This may include conversations with your employer to set realistic expectations. Our article on Setting Professional Boundaries offers practical tips for setting boundaries specifically at work. Be sure to also watch our two recent webinars on Communicating Effectively (Part 1 and Part 2) for valuable approaches to having some of the more challenging conversations around boundaries.

Practice self-care. Many people neglect self-care when they are feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of work and life. Self-care can look different for everyone. Some may enjoy exercising, while others find lounging on the couch to be the best act of self-love. CAC wrote a blog on both the importance of, and approaches to, Self-Care at Work. Self-care can also include a shifting of perspective, so focusing on your mindset can be really beneficial in the long-run.

Identify your stressors. Identifying what triggers your stress can be really useful as you work on creating a healthy synergy in the balancing act of work and your personal health. Stress can negatively impact your health, and it's rare that a job will come without at least some stress, so figuring out how to handle when work stress affects your health is important. Explore practices aimed at relieving stress so you have some sense of what will work best for you. Whether you are working through treatment, or returning to work after treatment, it's possible you'll face questions about your health status. Take a look at our article on Addressing Comments a Work for ways to respond to some of these comments which can feel off-putting and stressful. It's also important to understand the long-term impact of such stress. Our Managing Long-Term Stress webinar recording has ideas on how to reframe your perspective to navigate those complicated feelings.

If you're feeling stuck and would like some help exploring how to create this synergy, the Cancer and Careers team is always available to help talk through some ideas and approaches. Feel free to email us at cancerandcareers@cew.org to set up a time to talk.