Q&A with Catherine Tanaka: Is Achieving Work-Life Balance Possible?

One of the largest changes that COVID has brought to the workplace is the new hybrid workplace setting. It is a combination of employees working remote from home and part of the week at the office. Many people have spent the past year working entirely from home. A drastic change, it can mean the lines between work and life have become blurred. Some parents are now juggling household chores, helping kids with schoolwork, perhaps even caring for elderly parents, all while working full-time. A difficult balance!

This begs the question: Is achieving a work-life balance even possible? If so, what does it look like when put into practice? To help answer this and many other questions, Luisa sat down with Catherine Tanaka, fitness, nutrition, and accountability coach who specializes in transforming the fitness and lives of busy working professionals. She is the host and producer of the Body Project podcast, a nationally ranked fitness podcast where she interviews top-rated health professionals on how exercise and nutrition are the keys to living your best life. 

Q&A With Catherine Tanaka: Is Achieving Work-Life Balance Possible?

1) The definition of finding balance is highly debatable, especially when it comes to work-life balance. Many people wonder if it is even possible to achieve this. In your opinion, is there such a thing as work-life balance?

Balance is an interesting word. It almost insinuates that you’re able to do, and value, everything equally. As you mentioned, I specialize in supporting busy working women to optimize their health, fitness, and nutrition. One of the things I believe for men and women is that we can have it all, but it’s not actually about balance. 

The shift really comes from looking at the relationship between balance and one’s priorities. Priority meaning, how do we consider all the facets of our lives and give 100% to those things? For me, I have: two kids; a husband; a social life; a roster of 20 people I train; 3 accountability clients; my online program; and the podcast. I can’t simply look at these things and think I need to “balance” them, because they’re not all proportionately equal, and to truthfully balance them would be overwhelming. The way we can thrive in our busy lives is by aiming to be intentional in the time we put into work and into ourselves, our family, and our social arenas. I always ask myself how I can prioritize my responsibilities to optimize my efforts and reduce that awful feeling of being overwhelmed.

2) Is the conversation around work-life balance different for men vs. women? If so, what are the implications?

There is a fundamentally systemic difference between the roles of men and women, both in and out of the workplace. Historically, there was the expectation that men are the breadwinners, and women are domestic housewives. Over the last several decades, we have seen a shift in these roles. In my experience supporting busy working women, many of whom are moms, the word “balance” has had a much larger focus. 

Something to consider is the imbalance of equality and inclusion. There is systemic pressure designed to keep things the same. Sometimes, it can wreak havoc on the well-being of women, which is when we see burnout in the workplace and at home. However, I believe women are starting to recognize that we need to own our power and identify how we can work, have families, and still support our own well-being. We are reprogramming ourselves to challenge the pre-conceived norms and societal expectations. By putting ourselves first, we stand in our power in a way that is unique.

3) What are some of your best tips to incorporate well-being into a busy life? How do you help your clients find the time?

One of the strongest indicators of success for my clients is the ability to shift daily habits in a way that affects how we “show up”. You might recall the psychologist Pavlov who discovered classical conditioning. He would bring food to these dogs, ring a bell, and the dogs would begin to salivate. He later found that the dogs would still salivate at the ring of a bell, without the presence of food. We humans can also be conditioned in this way. For instance, traffic stresses us out, even if we don’t have somewhere urgent to be. Or when our kids get sick, we automatically derail our priorities. This all comes back to how we start incorporating well-being into our lives.

We first need to bring awareness to that which triggers us or throws us off. When we are aware of that, we can identify the one thing that we can take control of today, whether that be a quick workout, hydration, or a nutritious meal. These baby steps become micro-habits that help us to better manage stress and create huge results. 

4) How can people connect with you to learn more?

The best way to find me is on Instagram: @catherinetanaka.fit. Or, on Facebook at Catherine Tanaka Fitness. You can also tune into The Body Project podcast to listen to my conversations with amazing fitness professionals on how they use exercise and nutrition as a gateway to greatness. 

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At LD Human Resources, we believe strongly in helping to foster a work-life balance with our clients and their employees. It not only helps to build morale but also enhances team engagement, productivity, and innovative thinking.

To learn how we can help your organization, click on the button below for a free HR consultation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As the Founder and President of LD Human Resources, Luisa is a highly motivated and results-driven human resources professional with over 20 years’ experience in HR. Luisa is a Certified Human Resources Professional and holds a BA from the University of Toronto. She also graduated with honours, obtaining her Human Resources Management certificate in 2010.

Luisa’s expertise spans professional and financial services, construction, travel and tourism, IT, not-for profit and retail. Her key strengths include: strategic consulting; performance management, succession planning; recruitment and employee relations; organizational development and learning; and, compensation and benefits. Luisa is committed to high professional standards that link HR best practices to business objectives, delivering results within changing environments. She is a proud mother of two strong-minded young girls, and an advocate for mental health and wellness.