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!
