If you are like most of us, finding balance among all the demands of life acan be very challenging.
If you are like most of us, finding balance among all the demands of life acan be very challenging. The good news is that it is indeed po ible, once we understand the proce of finding balance.
Work-life balance is about finding the critical balance point between work and personal commitments. This proce looks different for each person, and it looks different at the various stages of life.
The effects of imbalance are well-documented: frustration, anxiety, depre ion, stre , overwhelm, illne brought on by lack of self-care and more. When out of balance, one is also more likely to use su tances to compe ate... more food, more sugar, more alcohol, or more prescription drugs.
How does one turn this around? As with all change, the first step is to know where you are. Are you aware of being out of whack, but aren't sure why? Perha you know where you're out of kilter but you don't know what to do about it.
Second, you need to know who is there to su ort you in making changes. Do you need to enroll your bo and propose flextime or telecommuting? Do you need to enroll your family to help out with re o ibilities? Do you need a life coach to keep you motivated and focused?
Next, take a look at your personal boundaries. Are you a people pleaser who always says yes to every request? Do you offer to help others at the expe e of your own time and stre ? You may need to learn how to say no, and disentangle yourself from obligatio you agreed to for the wrong reaso . It is both your right and your re o ibility to choose how you end your time and energy!
The next step is to review all your current obligatio as well as those things you'd like to include in your life. The list may include self-care, ho ies, home and car maintenance, family obligatio , time for yourself and others, social obligatio (as well as socializing for fun), travel, cla es, organizatio , community and volunteer efforts, education, health, work and of course, sleep.
Now determine the actual time ent AND the desired time ent for each of those activities. You may find quite a di arity between the two. Your goal is to begin working towards the desired time allotment i tead of how you end it now. Prioritize your activities and find ways to delegate, automate or deal with what is not e ential. You may decide to lower your standards for house-cleaning, negotiate for flex-time at work or find a new job altogether.
Next, you need to find ways to build decompre ion ace into your day. This will provide you with o ortunities to regenerate, clear your mind and keep stre at manageable levels.
Some optio include meditation or yogic breathing. Daily meditation has been found to have beneficial results in balancing both hemi heres of the brain. You can also de-stre and center by simply ste ing away from your desk and changing your surroundings while breathing co ciously. Your body will thank you for it!
Work-life balance is about finding the critical balance point between work and personal commitments. This proce looks different for each person, and it looks different at the various stages of life.
The effects of imbalance are well-documented: frustration, anxiety, depre ion, stre , overwhelm, illne brought on by lack of self-care and more. When out of balance, one is also more likely to use su tances to compe ate... more food, more sugar, more alcohol, or more prescription drugs.
How does one turn this around? As with all change, the first step is to know where you are. Are you aware of being out of whack, but aren't sure why? Perha you know where you're out of kilter but you don't know what to do about it.
Second, you need to know who is there to su ort you in making changes. Do you need to enroll your bo and propose flextime or telecommuting? Do you need to enroll your family to help out with re o ibilities? Do you need a life coach to keep you motivated and focused?
Next, take a look at your personal boundaries. Are you a people pleaser who always says yes to every request? Do you offer to help others at the expe e of your own time and stre ? You may need to learn how to say no, and disentangle yourself from obligatio you agreed to for the wrong reaso . It is both your right and your re o ibility to choose how you end your time and energy!
The next step is to review all your current obligatio as well as those things you'd like to include in your life. The list may include self-care, ho ies, home and car maintenance, family obligatio , time for yourself and others, social obligatio (as well as socializing for fun), travel, cla es, organizatio , community and volunteer efforts, education, health, work and of course, sleep.
Now determine the actual time ent AND the desired time ent for each of those activities. You may find quite a di arity between the two. Your goal is to begin working towards the desired time allotment i tead of how you end it now. Prioritize your activities and find ways to delegate, automate or deal with what is not e ential. You may decide to lower your standards for house-cleaning, negotiate for flex-time at work or find a new job altogether.
Next, you need to find ways to build decompre ion ace into your day. This will provide you with o ortunities to regenerate, clear your mind and keep stre at manageable levels.
Some optio include meditation or yogic breathing. Daily meditation has been found to have beneficial results in balancing both hemi heres of the brain. You can also de-stre and center by simply ste ing away from your desk and changing your surroundings while breathing co ciously. Your body will thank you for it!
