Joe Marler and Work Life Balance

Struggling with the demands of work and the demands of family?

Is it causing you stress, anxiety and a sense of letting everyone down?

After 59 caps, Joe Marler, England Rugby player decided to step away from the England set up "Being with England you have to spend an incredible amount of time away and I could not do that any more," he said.

He went one to say he was "looking forward to being able to give my wife and children more of my time".

After struggling with “the emotional and mental toll of being away from his family for long periods”, Marler choose to address it.

To work out whether it was all worth it.

Most of us are not going to reach the heights of international sport and the pressures on mind body and time that this brings, but we can all seek to understand why we do what we do and make sure it is all worth it.

Don’t keep putting your mental health at risk.

Start to be honest about what you really want and take action to get it.

As Joe Marler found, your honesty and integrity will gain you the respect of the people around you.

Eddie Jones, England Coach said

"He's a good guy - an honest, mature person who understands the demands of the game and the demands of family life. I have got to admire his honesty and the way he has gone about this."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/45659034

Photo credit - PA

Feeling like Joe Marler?

It’s time to plan your next steps

Be clear about what you need to succeed

On the 29th September the National League hockey season starts – and at the moment I can’t be involved.

Every umpire has to pass a Beep or Cooper test to the required standard and today I didn’t. I struggled with the heat, my breathing wasn’t right and I was gasping for breath with a dry mouth long before I felt ‘tired’.

Truth is I’ve never failed before and I was gutted. I’ve delayed taking the test to recover from injury but today was my first failure.

It was a lesson in controlling the variables and being clear on what you need to succeed.

I can’t control my sore knee that has stopped my from running, I couldn’t control the temperature on the pitch this morning… 

But I could have picked up the ‘running’ bottle - I brought the thing to the pitch but didn’t use it and a few gulps of water might have been enough to get me through.

Fortunately I think I can have another crack at it on Saturday morning, it’s a bit of a pain in the arse but it can be done.

Don’t let something as trivial as a water bottle derail your success!