How can you survive stress? Is there a way to find real work/life balance? How can I be present for my family and friends?

By Carol Williams, Senior Accountant at City of Ontario, Professor, Adjunct-Chaffey College

CSMFO News asked leaders of CSMFO for their tips to keeping a healthy perspective to moderating the pressures and stresses of work and finding joy in life. We are grateful to have received so many candid tips, including those featured in this article: Jason Al-Imam, CSMFO Professional Standards Committee Chair, Finance Director/City Treasurer (City of Fountain Valley); Margaret Moggia, CSMFO Past President, Executive Manager of Finance (West Basin Municipal Water District); Nitish Sharma, CSMFO Chapter Chair Sacramento Valley, Chief Administrative Officer (Cosumnes Community Services District); Michelle Collett, CSMFO Chapter Chair-San Diego, Senior Accountant (City of Escondido);

We hope that you continue to find inspiration from this series, including our prior Tips & Insights articles, which you can find here!

What is your strategy to recharge yourself professional after a tough or exhausting time?

Jason Al-Imam
I enjoy spending time with my wife and three children. For example, I enjoy coaching and watching my son play baseball. As a family we also enjoy bike riding, camping, watching movies, trips to Disneyland (we are annual passholders), traveling and making memories. From a professional perspective, reflecting on significant work accomplishments also helps me recharge and stay motivated.

Margaret Moggia
When I feel overwhelmed, I like to take the time to organize by thoughts. It may to be to make a to do list down to the smallest details(after all who doesn’t like to cross off items from their list) or jotting down notes on what happened during this time to see what changes need to be made. It also helps to have someone to talk to and share about your stressful time.

Nitish Sharma
The best prescription for me to recharge on a daily basis is to leave me office and go for a 30 minute walk or a 2-4 mile run. I started this few years back w/ our Finance Management Team in the City of West Sacramento and it has really improved my ability to concentrate and be creative. Running or walking during the day (anytime of the day as long as your schedule permits) has also improved my health and my eating habits.

Michelle Collett
I try to plan a camping trip once a month, even if it’s just for a short weekend. Spending time with the family outdoors always helps me recharge from a stressful week and I love having trips on the calendar to look forward to.

How do you keep balanced during those times?

Jason Al-Imam
For me, the key to keeping balanced is to plan and prioritize. This involves planning and prioritizing both my professional and personal life.

Margaret Moggia
For me, connecting with my family allows me to know that at the end of the day my husband and two girls always cheer me on. Also, it helps when I get a chance to watch movies and bake.

Nitish Sharma
My balanced lifestyle does not have time set for any particular task or activity. As much time as I can get, I try to spend with my family members. My work schedule works around my family time or event. As much as I can do, I try to work remotely during late evenings to prepare myself for a busy next day. Use of technology really helped me to free up time while not at work to attend to family events, kids activities and catch up on work later in the evenings. At our City, we have a 9/80 schedule for employees in our departments to take an extra day to recharge and be creative and efficient.

Michelle Collett
Here’s a picture of my family and I recharging in the Sequoia National Forest this past fourth of July weekend. If you haven’t checked out the Trail of 100 Giants, it’s definitely worth the trip. This picture is us at the base of a Giant Sequoia….AMAZING!!

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Carol Williams is a Senior Accountant at the City of Ontario, an Adjunct Professor at Chaffey College, and a member of the CSMFO Communication Committee. Carol enjoys inspiring people to achieve their personal and career goals and fulfills this by teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Chaffey College. Carol is a certified coach for The John Maxwell Team. Carol has over 20 years of leadership experience in local government and banking industry, and is currently in the MPA – Leadership Program at California State University San Bernardino.

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