Our theme this month is "work to live." (Can you imagine if it were "live to work"?) We don't think it's enough to focus solely on making the most of work, but rather to combine work and play, work and home life, work and health. Balance is essential. Work doesn't have to be a dirty word.
We've shone the spotlight this month on women whose passion for their work has the spin-off benefit of helping others. Super-nurses like Paula Carere may well be the cure for our ailing health-care system. Paula is the past-president of the Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario. Read "The Nurse Practitioner Will See You Now" and you'll quickly see this is a woman who loves what she does, and how she and members of her profession may very well change the face of health care in Canada. You'll observe that same passion when you read about Dr. Ali Zentner in "Everyday Matters." Zentner is familiar to anyone who's been watching the CBC-TV series "Village on a Diet." She's driven to improve the health of all Canadians, and her own story is inspiring.
In the feature story "Shift Happens," hardworking writer Barbara Righton shares everyday living strategies for folks who don't work nine to five – and that's a lot of Canadians. You'll get tips on keeping fit, eating well and how to find balance. Even if you don't work variable shifts, I'm sure you'll come away with a better understanding of what it's like to be a shift worker. For more expert tips on staying healthy at work, read along as personal trainer and athletic therapist Pamela Mazzuca Prebeg demonstrates an entire workplace workout in "Desk-ercise!"
If you have kids – well, that's a lot of work too, and of course it also brings a lot of joy. If you're trying to get dinner on the table in a hurry on a work night, check out "Quick and Easy" for recipes such as Vegetarian Singapore Noodles, Spiced Pork Chops With Pear Relish or Cosy Chicken and Rice Soup. Taking a good lunch to work gets challenging. Joanne Lusted and The Canadian Living Test Kitchen come to the rescue with tasty new ways to liven up your brown bag in "Lunch Specials." And for all you foodies who have a favourite recipe of your own, consider entering our Reader Recipe Contest. Find out how to enter at canadianliving.com/march.
So, back to the question: Do you work to live or live to work? I would definitely say that I'm in the "work to live" category. I love my job, I work with great people, and after many years I'm happy to say I've found balance. I'm pretty darned lucky. I would love to hear what category you're in and why. Go to canadianliving.com/march and let us know.
Have an inspired work day!
– Susan Antonacci
@SusanCanLiving
