1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:14,640 Welcome to Students Incorporated, a podcast exploring the topics of business, education, 2 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,200 technology and design. 3 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:17,640 I'm your host, Mr. Jason. 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:24,000 Join me weekly as my team and I produce content that's informative, positive, fun and uplifting. 5 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,440 Episodes include student conversations, interviews with thought leaders and inspirational stories 6 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:30,060 with an international flavor. 7 00:00:30,060 --> 00:00:34,000 This podcast is created and produced with the help of students from the International 8 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:35,880 Community School of Bangkok. 9 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:45,560 In today's episode, we'll be having a conversation with Mrs. Heather, a school counselor, about 10 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,640 the importance of proper work-life balance. 11 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:53,240 Whether you're a student, a working professional or a state home parent, maintaining a healthy 12 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,720 balance in your life is essential for your well-being. 13 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,640 But before we jump into this topic with Mrs. Heather, let's hear the quote of the day 14 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:02,960 and get some headline news. 15 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,080 Our quote of the day comes from Katie Thermis. 16 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:11,240 She is quoted to have said, you can't do a good job if your job is all you do. 17 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:16,440 This quote seems to emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. 18 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:21,040 When someone's job becomes their sole focus and consumes all their time and energy, it 19 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:25,480 can have negative consequences on their overall personal well-being. 20 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,320 And now, onto some recent business and tech news. 21 00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:32,000 Due to imposed sanctions, Russia has had to reduce their oil prices. 22 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,120 As a result, India is now able to purchase oil at cheaper prices, which has benefited 23 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:40,280 its economy, allowing the country to invest more in its oil industry. 24 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,080 As the world's third biggest importer, this has greatly benefited India. 25 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:48,920 However, due to it reselling some of that oil to European countries at higher prices, 26 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,880 the EU has started to crack down on the practice. 27 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:56,400 Moving on to our technology news, Chinese tech company Baidu's recent public release 28 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,360 of its AI chatbot Ernie a few weeks ago as a Chinese alternative. 29 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:05,500 To open AI's chat, GBT is part of an international race to develop AI technology. 30 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:10,800 This leads to ethical concerns involving inappropriate or dangerous usage of publicly available AI 31 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:11,800 tools. 32 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:16,260 Unlike its US alternative, Erniebot is more restrictive in its response, such as censoring 33 00:02:16,260 --> 00:02:19,840 controversial topics like Taiwan and Tiananmen Square. 34 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:24,240 As for our local news, Thailand's Pue Thai Party, which has promised a 10,000 baht payout 35 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:29,800 to citizens aged 16 and up, has reaffirmed that by February 1st, the money would be sent 36 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,320 via a digital wallet app. 37 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:37,240 Doing so would cause a short-term stimulation in the local economy throughout the country. 38 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:42,560 And that ends our headline news. 39 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:44,320 Thank you for our quote and news. 40 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:48,860 I've got to give a shout out to Yen Hao for finding us interesting and relevant news for 41 00:02:48,860 --> 00:02:50,040 each episode. 42 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:51,280 So thank you. 43 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,680 Now let's jump into the first part of our conversation with Mrs. Heather about the topic 44 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,120 of work-life balance. 45 00:02:58,120 --> 00:02:59,960 Welcome to the podcast, Mrs. Heather. 46 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:04,160 Would you mind introducing yourself and tell us a little bit about your current role here 47 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:05,160 at ICS? 48 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,480 Yeah, thank you for having me. 49 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:12,600 I am Mrs. Heather and I am one of the high school counselors. 50 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:18,800 And so that means that I work with you guys, helping you with your academic counseling, 51 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:24,640 your scheduling, that kind of thing, but also helping to meet your mental health needs, 52 00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:26,200 your social-emotional needs. 53 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,640 And I have been here now for almost a year. 54 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:30,160 Thank you so much. 55 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,200 We usually start off our guest segments with some lighthearted questions. 56 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,480 Our first one has to do with ice cream. 57 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:41,040 If Baskin Robbins made an ice cream flavor about you, what would it be and why? 58 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:42,040 Oh, okay. 59 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:48,400 Well, I don't know what it would be called, but I can tell you it would have every possible 60 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,840 version of chocolate that you could find. 61 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:59,520 So it would be some sort of dark chocolate with chocolate chunks, probably some peanut 62 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,800 butter swirled in there. 63 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,320 I haven't thought of a good name yet, but lots of chocolate, yeah. 64 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:10,520 Have you ever tried the chocolate, do you know, like hot pot kind of thing? 65 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:11,520 Oh, yes. 66 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,160 Like the fondue, chocolate fondue? 67 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:14,160 Yes, that's right. 68 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:15,160 I'm all about that. 69 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:16,160 I love that. 70 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:17,800 Okay, here's another fun one. 71 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,520 What's one thing on your bucket list that you haven't done yet and don't think you'll 72 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:23,200 ever be able to do? 73 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:24,840 Something that seems out of reach. 74 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:26,880 Okay, well, let's see. 75 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:31,400 I actually don't like to say that it's completely out of reach because you never know. 76 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:32,400 Right? 77 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:33,400 Oh, that's true. 78 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:40,040 So I don't think I'd go as far to say that it could never happen because things can happen. 79 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:48,560 I used to want to skydive and maybe with age and maturity that has changed. 80 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:54,080 Having children and you know, maybe I would still skydive, but it's not quite as high 81 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,660 on my bucket list anymore. 82 00:04:56,660 --> 00:04:59,600 Most of my bucket list things have to do with traveling. 83 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:07,080 So I would love to go to Machu Picchu in Peru and hike up to that really old ancient city. 84 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:08,080 Go to Iceland. 85 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:09,080 I haven't been there. 86 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,040 But I'm not going to say that that's not going to happen. 87 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:12,040 Right. 88 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:13,040 Yeah. 89 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:14,480 Yeah, that sounds like a really great skydiving though. 90 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,160 I really want to skydive one day. 91 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:17,440 Yeah, a good list. 92 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:19,640 All right, moving on to the next question. 93 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,200 This one has some historical significance. 94 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:29,360 So NASA's Apollo 11 mission carried the first humans to the moon in 1969, before any of 95 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,240 us in this room were even born. 96 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:35,920 When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon's surface for the first time, he's quoted as 97 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:39,920 he said, that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. 98 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,840 If that was actually you stepping onto the moon for the first time and the entire world 99 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:45,840 was watching, what would you have said? 100 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:46,840 You're right. 101 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:47,960 I was not born. 102 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:52,960 My parents were born and my mom, my mom like tells me about what it was like when she watched 103 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,720 it live, like in her school. 104 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,640 I guess she would have been like 10 years old. 105 00:05:57,640 --> 00:05:59,760 That seems pretty crazy to watch it. 106 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:00,760 Okay. 107 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:07,600 So really there's no chance I would have ever been there because I get really motion sick. 108 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,320 So I would probably step off and be like, I cannot believe I'm here. 109 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:12,660 I feel like I'm going to throw up. 110 00:06:12,660 --> 00:06:17,440 So unfortunately, I don't think I'd have a really amazing quote because I would probably 111 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:18,440 feel very sick. 112 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,560 Well, wrap up our last lighthearted questions with this one. 113 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:26,520 As a school counselor, what subject do you wish was taught in every school? 114 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:27,520 Oh, okay. 115 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,600 Oh, I don't know that I feel like this is lighthearted. 116 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:37,080 I think that everyone needs to learn about how to take care of themselves, their personal 117 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:38,720 like self care. 118 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:41,360 That's what we call it in the counseling field, right? 119 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,360 So how to like take care of all parts of you. 120 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,780 So we do PE, I appreciate that, right? 121 00:06:47,780 --> 00:06:54,720 There's PE, there's, I mean, I don't know, like there's just a lot more to us than just 122 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:55,720 the academics. 123 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,460 So something that actually taught you and maybe gave you practical experience with how 124 00:06:59,460 --> 00:07:01,560 to take care of all of your needs. 125 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:03,040 Yeah, I definitely agree. 126 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:07,280 I feel like especially as we go on with life, that would definitely come in handy. 127 00:07:07,280 --> 00:07:10,080 So schools, every school should teach that. 128 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:11,080 Yes. 129 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,100 And now moving on to our main topic of work life balance. 130 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:16,500 And this segment is focused on student. 131 00:07:16,500 --> 00:07:20,000 What's some of the issues you've observed with students in this area? 132 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:28,320 I think that we often put a lot of emphasis on obviously on education and our academics 133 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:33,240 as students, because that's kind of the biggest thing we have going on in our lives right 134 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:34,240 now. 135 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:41,720 So that's what I think the biggest area is neglecting other parts of our lives for focusing 136 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,520 on the academics and actually telling ourselves that that's good, that other things in our 137 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,160 lives are not as important as academics. 138 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:50,960 Yeah, I agree. 139 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:57,480 So like we did a survey in our AP side class, and then most of like the vast majority of 140 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,400 the students, they only sleep five to six hours. 141 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,760 Yeah, but we actually should sleep more than eight hours. 142 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:05,600 Yeah, is that what you learned in psych? 143 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:06,600 Yeah. 144 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:07,600 That's a great class. 145 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:08,600 I agree. 146 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,440 I mean, yeah, eight or even nine hours. 147 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,240 I used to hear that 10 hours for teenagers was important, which is ridiculous. 148 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,680 Like we could never even imagine getting that. 149 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:22,080 But five or six is, you're never going to feel like you're fully rested. 150 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:26,720 Yeah, because like the students have the mindset to study at night and it's more, and you have 151 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,760 like more focus along the same idea. 152 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,600 What are some of the reasons you think students struggle with maintaining this balance? 153 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:40,440 You know, I think a lot of it has to do with what we prioritize, right? 154 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:46,080 We were just talking about the sleep and the reason that students, I mean, and adults too, 155 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:49,240 aren't getting enough sleep is because we aren't prioritizing it, right? 156 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:54,960 So I think it's we're saying we're telling ourselves that the academics are the most 157 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,720 important thing and yeah, they are very, very important. 158 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:03,360 But if we have, if we put that as the biggest priority, then we're going to be neglecting 159 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:04,440 some of the other things. 160 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:09,320 And so I think it, I think one of the reasons that students struggle is kind of, is that 161 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:11,480 we aren't quite prioritizing things well. 162 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,080 Yeah, that's really insightful and that makes sense. 163 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:19,000 I wonder though, like, I feel like many people would have more priorities as well. 164 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:23,800 So you have to like think about how you want to balance those many priorities as well. 165 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,920 Now, I like to hear your thoughts about which different aspects do you think factor into 166 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:30,480 how each student maintains this balance? 167 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:36,080 Yeah, well, I can think that this can kind of go along with what we're prioritizing. 168 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:40,360 And I mean, you just said it, we have a lot of things, right? 169 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:45,620 So factors can be how many things are we trying to fit in? 170 00:09:45,620 --> 00:09:48,160 How many things are we trying to make a priority? 171 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:52,880 And if we have too many things that we're trying to achieve, well, then there's a good 172 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:57,200 chance we're not going to do well at all of them, right? 173 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:01,600 I would say the factors are, I mean, yeah, stopping and really stepping back and say 174 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:04,900 what really should be the priority, right? 175 00:10:04,900 --> 00:10:09,280 Even though there might be a lot of great options, a lot of great things, a lot of great 176 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:13,800 opportunities, which ones do I really want to prioritize and do well at? 177 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:18,880 Because sometimes for me personally, I just can't let go of sports. 178 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:20,600 Like I just can't do academic. 179 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,520 I need to do both because that's part of me. 180 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,680 So I don't know, is that my ambition or not? 181 00:10:26,680 --> 00:10:30,200 I just can't put that apart from me. 182 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:34,760 These are struggling with both my aspect, like from study and sports. 183 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,000 Yeah, it's kind of a balance, huh? 184 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,480 But I didn't find the balance yet. 185 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,080 I'm trying to though. 186 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:45,440 Our last question for this first segment is what advice would you give to students about 187 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:46,760 this topic? 188 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:49,520 How do you consult them in this area? 189 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:54,380 You know, one question that I ask and maybe many of you that have come to talk to me is 190 00:10:54,380 --> 00:10:55,920 what do you want? 191 00:10:55,920 --> 00:11:01,800 It's a really simple question, but sometimes what we want, the actual answer to that is 192 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,400 not what we're doing, right? 193 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:09,680 Even if we have all of these, you know, things that we're prioritizing, all of these, you 194 00:11:09,680 --> 00:11:14,520 know, great opportunities, all of these goals that we're going for, sometimes they aren't 195 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:16,680 actually what we want. 196 00:11:16,680 --> 00:11:22,240 So it's really simple, but maybe just I would get my advice would be step back and ask yourself 197 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,440 what do I really want? 198 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,120 That's really great advice for students. 199 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:27,120 Thank you. 200 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:31,040 We'll be talking about this same subject and how it relates to working professionals in 201 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:32,200 our second segment. 202 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,200 So stay tuned. 203 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:39,800 One, two, three, four. 204 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,080 Long time no see, people of ICS. 205 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:46,880 For sports, our girls and boys varsity volleyball team are going to list this Saturday. 206 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:53,000 Moving on to music, the Thai-Japan Iconic Music Fest 2023 is scheduled from September 207 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,520 22nd to 24th at ICON Siam, Bangkok. 208 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:03,040 The annual music festival, marking the 50th and 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan's friendship, 209 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:07,720 promotes Thai and Japanese pop culture and features performances by over 50 renowned 210 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:18,280 bands from both Thailand and Japan. 211 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:23,400 We are back with our second segment with Mrs. Heather as we continue to talk about the subject 212 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,080 and topic of work-life balance. 213 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:30,960 For this segment, we'll shift from talking about students to talking about working professionals. 214 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,920 So to get us started, Premi will start us off with our first question. 215 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:39,280 So, Mrs. Heather, what are some of your thoughts about the importance of work-life balance 216 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:40,520 in a professional setting? 217 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:46,600 I just want to say that even though I'm speaking to you students saying you got to know your 218 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:52,860 priorities, I am also speaking to myself and I'm sure that all of your teachers would say 219 00:12:52,860 --> 00:12:54,360 the same thing. 220 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,840 Work-life balance, it's tough, okay? 221 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:03,620 I think one of the most important things is once again, knowing your priorities. 222 00:13:03,620 --> 00:13:11,560 So being confident in what you really want and being able to say no when you need to. 223 00:13:11,560 --> 00:13:12,560 That's definitely important. 224 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:17,360 What would you say is a good ratio between work-life and personal life? 225 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:24,680 I would say that you need to have space for personal life and that it's okay. 226 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:31,600 Sometimes we tend to think that our professional lives are the most important, kind of our 227 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,840 achievements are the most important. 228 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:39,840 But if there's not a good balance, if you're not enjoying yourself, if you're not finding 229 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:44,320 times to have fun with your friends or your family, then it's going to be really hard 230 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,400 to even meet some of those goals and those aspirations. 231 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:54,040 And so I think it's really stopping and asking yourself, am I really giving myself the attention? 232 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:59,680 Am I allowing myself to stop and take a rest and enjoy and do something fun in this process? 233 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:03,440 And what kinds of things or ways do you find that are helpful when it's wanting to spend 234 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,080 time with friends and family outside of work? 235 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:07,480 This is a great question. 236 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:11,120 And I think it's actually really helpful to stop and think what are the practical things 237 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:12,840 that you actually do to make this happen? 238 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:18,240 Because we talk about this a lot, like you should prioritize what is important. 239 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:19,520 So how do you actually do that? 240 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:20,520 That's a good question. 241 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:26,800 Okay, so for me personally, one thing, actually this made me think of a story. 242 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:31,480 An early job that I had when my kids were really young was actually working from home, 243 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:34,800 which sounds great because I get to be with my kids even when they were really little, 244 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:38,080 like still babies. 245 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:43,000 But it was really hard because my work and my home life was all in the same place. 246 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,680 So it was hard to separate those. 247 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:46,680 Yeah. 248 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:51,680 So it was like I was always working and I was always being a mom, but I couldn't really 249 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,620 ever stop either one. 250 00:14:54,620 --> 00:14:59,440 So I had to really learn to actually set aside my time. 251 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:04,480 Like this time right here, these four hours are when I'm working and when that time is 252 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:09,560 done, then I am at home with my family and I'm not going to look at my work. 253 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:17,000 So I think that's what I've tried to do as I've gone on and had other jobs is to always 254 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,960 set aside time for my family. 255 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:25,880 So right now it's when I get home, well, six o'clock for sure because we have dinner at 256 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:26,960 six o'clock. 257 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:32,760 So from six to about eight, I don't do any work or any of my schooling that I'm in right 258 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:33,760 now. 259 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,400 I really try to focus on my family and being with my kids. 260 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:43,160 So it might take something like, yeah, really looking at your schedule and scheduling in 261 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:47,760 time to not work and actually rest and spend time with those that are important. 262 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:49,120 I totally agree. 263 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:54,600 So because I also met the same problem for the past few weeks. 264 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:57,800 For example, like my Sunday, we need to go to church. 265 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:03,000 So I need to separate my church time and also my homework time because I can't do my homework 266 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,240 during church when pastor is preaching. 267 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:06,240 Yeah. 268 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,840 And it's hard to control yourself from doing your homework if you're not done with that. 269 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:10,840 It's really hard. 270 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:15,040 I mean, absolutely, because there's always more to do. 271 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,400 Same with work. 272 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,600 So what about the habit of bringing work? 273 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,560 How do you advise a working professional in this area? 274 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,040 You're talking about when you bring home work. 275 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:30,120 I think this actually is really similar to what we were just talking about with having 276 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:31,120 your boundaries. 277 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:35,160 So, yeah, sometimes you have to bring home work and I get that. 278 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,320 But all of this kind of builds on it, right? 279 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:42,100 Like what we were talking about before with knowing your priorities. 280 00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:46,200 So if you know your priorities, if you know what's important, you know, time with family 281 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:53,640 perhaps, time for fun, time with friends, then you'll value it and you'll find ways 282 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:54,720 to protect that time. 283 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,600 So that's what I think with bringing work home. 284 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:04,720 Sure, maybe we have to bring work home sometimes, but maybe we build in space for when we're 285 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,060 going to do that, like with your homework. 286 00:17:07,060 --> 00:17:10,840 You know, during this time on Sunday mornings when I'm at church, that's not a time I'm 287 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:15,840 going to be doing it because I'm dedicating it towards this that's important. 288 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:19,960 But perhaps, I don't know about if this is what you do, but perhaps after church, like 289 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:24,680 Sunday afternoons from, you know, two to four, that's when I can do my work. 290 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,100 Yeah, I agree. 291 00:17:26,100 --> 00:17:31,360 Setting boundaries and like setting space for each activity is definitely important. 292 00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:34,920 And certain careers can bring more stress than others. 293 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,440 Have you experienced this in your different jobs you have had? 294 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,600 Yeah, definitely. 295 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:46,040 You know, I've had a lot of interesting jobs actually, because most of my jobs have actually 296 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:50,640 been from home until working here. 297 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:55,880 And yeah, at different times, I think either the job, the career can bring stress, but 298 00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:00,520 also just whatever's going on in my life can add to that stress. 299 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:07,840 So my living situation or things going on in family, right, that adds to a lot of that 300 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:08,840 stress. 301 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:11,680 So now we're getting into how do you manage stress. 302 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:18,140 And I will tell you that with my profession as a counselor, I mean, a lot of what my job 303 00:18:18,140 --> 00:18:22,520 and what I'm taught to do is to talk with people who are going through a lot of hard 304 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:23,600 things. 305 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:30,320 And so it is very common for counselors to almost take on that stress as they're hearing 306 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:33,660 the stress that other people are dealing with and all of the hard things that other people 307 00:18:33,660 --> 00:18:34,660 are dealing with. 308 00:18:34,660 --> 00:18:39,820 And so it's actually in training and learning about counseling, you learn how to not carry 309 00:18:39,820 --> 00:18:41,640 that for yourself. 310 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:47,240 So I am so thankful that I have learned how to take on these kind of stresses without 311 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,240 carrying them and holding on to them. 312 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:53,600 Everyone, it might look kind of different, but well, for me, really, it's through prayer, 313 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:57,360 praying and just asking God to carry it instead of me. 314 00:18:57,360 --> 00:19:01,320 A lot of times this stress that we carry is not really worth carrying. 315 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,800 It's not really something that we can fix or change anyway. 316 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:09,520 And so learning to kind of release it for me is through prayer, through perhaps listening 317 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:15,160 to worship music, sometimes writing are ways that kind of help release that. 318 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:20,960 That actually reminds me of like a Bible verse, like put some burden on God and God will help 319 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:22,760 you to carry that. 320 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:24,700 And that's incredibly insightful. 321 00:19:24,700 --> 00:19:26,720 Thank you for sharing that with us. 322 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,320 What inspired you to pursue this job you're currently doing? 323 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:35,960 Well, I love people and I love students. 324 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:36,960 I love you guys. 325 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:38,160 I love your age. 326 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,880 I love this stage that you guys are in. 327 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:47,440 I pursued counseling because I see that there's a need for people to have a safe space to 328 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:56,040 really be able to be real and explore what they're dealing with and in a place that they 329 00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:00,240 are fully accepted and loved and will not be judged. 330 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:01,440 That's why I pursued counseling. 331 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:07,240 And then here specifically at the school is because I love your age. 332 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:12,000 I love what you guys are going through and I love being able to help you guys walk through 333 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,800 this kind of period in your life where you're not kids anymore, but you're not adults yet 334 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:17,800 either. 335 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:18,800 It is confusing. 336 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:19,800 It is. 337 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:20,800 It's confusing. 338 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:21,800 You're dealing with a lot. 339 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,640 There's a lot of pressures and stress and expectations. 340 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:32,440 So I hope that I can help in any way to kind of be able to join you where you are and offer 341 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,760 you a safe place to be able to process. 342 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:36,800 Oh, that's really heartwarming. 343 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:37,800 Thank you. 344 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:43,160 And as we wrap up this last segment, what advice would you give to other working professionals 345 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:44,160 about this topic? 346 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,920 I give this to all of us. 347 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:55,000 Know what you want to commit to and what you don't want to commit to and allow yourself 348 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,480 to say no. 349 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,160 That's really powerful. 350 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,640 That's great advice as we end this segment. 351 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:30,480 Thanks again for your time and insight into this important subject of work-life balance. 352 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:35,760 As we close out this episode's topic of work-life balance, Mrs. Heather has provided some great 353 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,880 advice for both students and working professionals. 354 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:44,480 You may have heard of James Howell's popular proverb, which goes like this, all work and 355 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,240 no play makes Jack a doll boy. 356 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:53,120 It basically means without time off from work, we can become both bored and boring. 357 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:55,160 So true, so true. 358 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:59,920 Stay tuned for our next episode as we talk with a local design professional about his 359 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:03,320 career in the broader design industry. 360 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:08,560 As always, this podcast would not be possible without the hard work and support of our international 361 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:10,400 student production team. 362 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:16,120 All music and sound effects are courtesy of Pixabay.com, a vibrant community of creatives 363 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:20,000 sharing copyright free images, videos, and music. 364 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,400 And we are signing off until next time. 365 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:43,760 Be your Students Incorporated, because your voice matters.