Gift in barbed wire?

Work-life balance and work-life harmony are concepts that elude so many of us, despite the fact that, as physicians, we are always telling our patients how important a healthy lifestyle is and how valuable it is in keeping us well. Every day I discuss with patients what modifiable lifestyle factors are and how they can be changed. Perhaps the most difficult challenge for most people is finding that balance between work commitments and personal commitments, as we get pulled in many directions. I often lecture about balancing work and family, quality of life with work, and stress management and work satisfaction. While it might seem like a lot of material to handle, it is clear that, unless we can balance our work and family, we are cheating our patients, our family, and most important, ourselves. As time has passed, I have finally begun to understand not only how important balance is, but also how difficult it is to achieve.