Mastering It All: How to Live That Work-Life Balance
These days women are carrying so many different titles. We are mothers, wives/partners, sisters, daughters, aunts, best friends and leaders in the community. Let’s not forget we are also the stellar employee, the supervisors, the CEO, the Board member and the project leader. We wear so many different hats and we try to be good at it all. But how do we get it all done? Most importantly, how can we have a healthy balance between personal life and professional life?
Work/Life Balance is the term used for how we manage our time/responsibilities for work and personal life. It focuses on how much time and energy we expend in those two areas. It is not necessarily an even division, but the ultimate goal is to make sure that we are not spending more time on things that drain our energy or doesn’t feed into us. In a perfect world, we would all be able to do this with ease. In reality, it is not always possible. Many things effect our work/life balance such as work demands, family obligations and sometimes work culture. During and after the pandemic, many found it more difficult to create that balance due to working from home. Working home is made it easier for things like staying at work after the work day is done and tending to take work into social areas of the home.
It is a important to have a good work/life balance for so many reasons. For starters, a good work/life balance helps reduce your stress level. It can also decrease the changes of burnout, helping keep you fulfilled with your employment. It can also increase your productivity. Our relationships can been seen as more fulfilling when we take time to pour into them.
So how can we balance it all? With all of our hats, we have to be strategic in how we balance our time and where we spend our energy. Here are a few tips:
set boundaries
Express to others what your limits are and stick to them. If you can only work overtime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, make sure you let your supervisory team know. They may be willing to work with you if overtime is mandatory.
unplug
When you are off from work, be off from work. Don’t check your emails, voice mails, or even sign in to your work. During your work day, take your breaks.
share the load
If you are feeling overwhelmed by your load, at work or home, share it with others. Maybe you split cooking dinner with your spouse/partner. Maybe you share the household chore list. Maybe you share parts of the work project with a coworker or teammates.
take the short cuts sometimes
Along the lines of sharing the load, take some short cuts when needed. Maybe instead of cooking every night, try ordering out every now and then. It may cost a little more but the time you gain will be will worth it. Another alternative is using a meal delivery service. This can cut down on prep time and worrying about what to fix.
say no
Remember saying NO is a complete sentence. If you are drained or tapped out, it is okay to say no to going out with your friend so that you can get rest or spend time with your family.
spend time with your family and friends
Spend time with those who love you and care about you. These people will help you to destress and refuel.
prioritize you
Make time for your self-care. Make sure to exercise and eat well. Make sure that you are taking vacations or days off to regroup and restore your energy and focus.
It is important to have a good work/life balance in order to be successful. So, what is going to be you plan in balancing it all?
Erika Brooks is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor in the state of Virginia. She received her Masters of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is the owner of Enlightenment Counseling Services, LLC. She is also a co-author of PEARL: Wisdom and Advice for Emerging Leaders. Contact her are brookslpc@gmail.com