Be You
03
Jul
Tag Archives: Inspirational quotes
28
Jun
Work Life Balance
Work life balance are three words I often hear and use as a counsellor. Honestly we are bombarded with the idea that we all must have a perfect balance between these two things. We all wonder how this is done and whether this is true. Can it really be achieved?
The subjective answer is most of us will need to give more energy to certain areas of our life at certain times. In short it all depends. Objectively we can try to strive for some sort of balance but knowing that all things are not always equal. As Worklifebalance.com points out, it is not really about spending equal hours on each area, truly that wouldn’t be so much fun.
A quick Google search tells me that we are all searching for a way to find this perfect balance but our lives and needs are all so different. In Entrepreneur they share 5 Secrets to Achieving and Maintaining Work-Life Balance. An interesting read that made me think about one of my favourite topics setting limits. Respecting boundaries is where many of us get into difficulties achieving balance. Do you really need to answer that email at 11:00 p.m.? With the summer finally here, try secret #4 and embrace the off button! Spend time with someone that makes you smile. Put away that cell phone and just enjoy the birds, the beautiful weather and just relax.
Sometimes we just need to break it down and look at what is important and achievable. Start small and the big stuff often falls into place. Put time into your schedule to ride your bike, have tea with a friend or clean your office. Small things can make big change. In 12 Keys to Achieving Work-Life Balance they concur that tackling and achieving small tasks gives you a sense of accomplishment.
Canadian Mental Health Association has a Work-Life Balance Quiz that let’s us know how we’re doing. I took the quiz and well let’s say things are in balance but they could use a little work! My favourite and most self fulfilling find while writing this was a Ted Talks video by Nigel Marsh the author of Fat, Forty and Fired. Watch his short 10 minute video about How to make work-life balance work and you will be glad you did!
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Setting Limits
With busy lives and limited resources maybe in energy, finances or time we can find ourselves stretched and even resentful. I once had a young, but very wise personal trainer who told me “every time you say yes you must say no to something else.” I would often protest at his words of wisdom saying I can’t let anything go because it is all important. He was right though and sometimes we just need to figure things out the hard way. In my life that usually is when my body tells me it is time to stop by gifting me with a cold or flu.
In an article from by Britt Bolnick, How to Set Healthy Boundaries: 3 Crucial First Steps, the first step is to get in touch with how you are feeling and recognize the sensations in your mind and body. Being proactive is important and by recognizing signs such as fatigue, irritability or gastrointestinal issues early we can make changes. Our bodies actually have an early warning system built in but we don’t always listen to it. Be present, be aware of drained energy levels and take action.
Our lives are always changing and yet we find it difficult to let things go. At some point life is too full and in order to make space for new experiences we need to let go of things that no longer have a purpose in our life. Do a personal audit. Are there people who leave you feeling exhausted or annoyed after spending time with them? Are there activities that you continue to do that make you feel resentful but you have always done them? Create a boundary and set limits. Shield your personal energy, as it is a precious resource.
In 7 Ways to Protect Your Energy and Enforce Healthy Boundaries, Dr. Susan Biali suggests that you “get clear about what a protected, on purpose life would look and feel like”. Create a list. How would you know that your life was in balance and on purpose? What would you have in it? What things might you limit? What would be new? What changes would you make? Would you have more energy?
So get a journal and take a minute to write a few of these things down. Once you are done you can create a new blueprint for your life with some healthy boundaries and limits. It can take time to do but as you make those changes you will notice subtle shifts in how you feel. Remember that a happier, energized and more fulfilled you, means you are now able to give positively to others and still have something left for you.
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