Our Culture: Balance
"You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at once."
— Oprah Winfrey
Balance
I have a balanced approach to life, remembering that my spiritual, social, physical and family aspects are just as important as my financial and intellectual. I complete my work and my most important tasks first, so I can have quality time to myself, with my family and also to renew.
Why we seek well-being in the workplace:
Finding Our Smack Happy Place
Stress in the workplace can affect happiness, productivity, relationships, quality of work, and most importantly our overall mental and physical health.
Experiencing stress at work is inevitable, but the way in which we deal with it can bring more balance to our social, personal, and professional lives.
Top Stressors at Work
Source: Wrike
-
40% Say
Poor Communication
-
27% Say
Team members not pulling weight in projects
-
25% Say
Bottlenecks waiting on others to take action
-
21% Say
Unrealistic deadlines
-
27% Say
Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed
What We're Doing About It
As a company-wide effort to help combat workplace distress and create more balanced lives, we conducted a survey to find out how people manage stressors and ultimately achieve work-life balance.
Combined below, we’ve summed up balance tips and techniques shared graciously by our wonderful team and some of the best life coaches and wellness professionals in the biz.
That being said, here’s what some of us do to stay balanced, productive, and ultimately enjoy what we do at work as well as everything we do outside of it.
When Working from Home:
Create
Designate a workspace.
notifications.
Keep strict work hours.
0%
of workers say stress & anxiety impacts their productivity.0%
say stress affects their workplace relationships.Source: Wrike
Relationships:
Lean on people.
Sync workday hours with your partner.
Dedicate time to people you
Call or send a text to check in on others.
0%
of workers say stress & anxiety impacts their productivity.0%
reported stressed out eyes.0%
reported difficulty in sleeping because of stress.Source: WM EDU
Physical Health:
Schedule time to
Drink lots of water.
Aim for
Take breaks during the day.
3/5 adults in the U.S. needed more emotional support in the previous year to cope with stress.
Source: Mental Health America
Mental Health:
Be kind
Stick to your boundaries.
to quiet the mind.
Allow others to help you.
20% of Americans report they never engage in an activity to help relieve or manage their stress.
Source: American Psychological Association
Personal Development:
Seek others who your growth.
Record your thoughts and ideas.
Have fun and
Discover and try new things.
Balance is a Journey
We’re always exploring new paths to continuously evolve our work environment in positive ways. Our hope is that it not only benefits our team, but also our clients, friends, and families.
Our 7-Year Journey
2017
- Added international WFH opportunities.
- Expanded hiring techniques that get to know people beyond the skills and abilities on their resume.
2018
- Improved overall processes to consider and encourage team healthfulness and personal boundary expectations.
- Started quarterly team social events.
2019
- Committed to expansion of additional open door policies so all voices know they have equal opportunity to be heard.
- Began ongoing team member recognition activities and events.
2020
- Accepted a more involved role to contribute to give to and support various causes and people we care about.
- Ramped up referral, client, and vendor relationships to create continual, full-circle streams of long-lasting relationships.
2021
- Incorporated monthly workshops, casual co-working environments, support groups, and weekly wellness moments.
- Evaluated and updated team culture, purpose, mission, and vision.
2022
- Incorporated The Five Ways to Wellbeing. Developed by the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, The Five Ways to Wellbeing are simple and proven actions we can all do to find more balance, build resilience and boost our mental well-being.
2023
- Introduced new benefits through BetterHelp, convenient and professional therapy online.
- Began a four-day workweek and mental health days to maintain excellence while fostering a Smack Happy, motivated, and creative team. Learn more about why we decided to incorporate this into our work culture.
Before We Go, a Note from the Heart
As we reflect on what we’ve done to help create more Zen environments for ourselves and our future workforce, we know many do not have the luxury to do things like choose work hours, take a walk during the workday, or have the option to surround themselves with reliable support systems.
Beyond this article, our long-term, ongoing goal is to support and give back to the people and communities we know and love in any way we are able.
Thank You!
A big thank you to all of the individuals below for participating. Connect on LinkedIn to learn more about them and the amazing services they offer.

Akeisha Johnson
An Inspired Story Coaching

Alice Shikina
Shikina Mediation & Arbitration

Claire Brown Kohler
We Empower Leaders, LLC

Jay Kingley
Centricity

Diane Pauley
Writer & Strategist
Smack Happy Design

Nicole Hanusek
Owner, CEO
Smack Happy Design

Natalie Milton
Web Developer
Smack Happy Design

Anna Byun
Web Designer & Developer
Smack Happy Design

Danielle Iera
Project Manager
Smack Happy Design

Ruben van Engelenburg
Web Developer
Smack Happy Design

Viktor Angelopoulos
Web Developer
Smack Happy Design