All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Ever heard this saying? Often our desire to succeed causes us to push aside other things and we only focus on work. We have such work-drive and it is so important to us to impress others, that we forget about ourselves. This is a very unbalanced lifestyle and families split up because of this. Things that are really important are moved out of the way to make space for worktime.
We get overworked, and that also influences our family life and our relationships. It is therefore extremely important to keep a balanced lifestyle to keep our sanity in place. A balanced lifestyle means that there is a time and a place for everything. We need to prioritize and put the important things first and then work on the rest. It doesn’t mean that we have to become lazy and leave things behind, it just means that we must become more organized and we have to prioritize better.
When you have children, it is important to spend enough time with them. Not everyone has the luxury to be a stay at home mom, so sometimes we have to make some sacrifices. We do however have to make sure that we leave our work life at work to be able to give our full attention at home.
Having children and other family members to care for can be very challenging but also very demanding. It is definitely not an easy task and we have to prioritize everything in our lives so that we can spend enough time where we need to.
There might be times when our work takes priority for example when we need to work on a new project etc but that is only temporary and should not affect our lives all the time.
Having our lives more prioritized should have more positive effects than negatives. We will have less stress and anxiety, and ultimately, we will have a better sense of well-being.
When you create your schedule make sure that you include everything that you need to do during the day. This might feel overwhelming but will ensure that you stay in control and divide your hours more evenly. If you cannot stick to the schedule, for example if you have to work late, make sure that you then restructure your schedule to fit in everything else. You also have to make up for the time you lost working late, so take a few hours of work to make up and therefore balance out the difference.
Remember this schedule is created daily or weekly depending on the hours available. There is no perfect schedule in the world, so be prepared for changes, but remember to be realistic. It all sounds very easy, but it might not be so easy to work out a schedule. It will take a lot of time to find a schedule that works for you.
Balance is achieved ongoing, and the better your schedule, the more organized you will feel. If you feel you are in control, then your whole life would not feel overwhelming. Remember you are not a superhuman and you can only do so much during one day. If it gets too much, then go back to the drawing board and start again. Prioritize the most important things and spend less time on the less important things.
You health should be at the top of your list, and often enough we let ourselves go because we just do not have the time. Make sure you add some time for yourself on your schedule and use that time effectively for meditation or a similar activity. A healthy mind ensures a healthy life.
You should also have some time where you can just cut yourself off from the rest of the world and focus mainly on what is important to you. Half an hour a day can do you the world of good.
Make sure that you take your leave from work when you feel that things are just getting too much. If you need a break, then take it. Try and totally shutdown so you don’t even have to think about work.
Make sure to set certain boundaries on your schedule. Rome was not built in one day and if you cannot finish something today, then just stop and continue the next day. We often work longer hours because we get tired and cannot focus properly. Make sure to take enough breaks in between your work hours to keep you on your toes.
Set goals for yourself and divide your time in such a way that it is easy to achieve your goals. A little bit of work every day, is the same as a lot of work in one session.
Try and negotiate some flexible work hours and work from home if you have to. Just make sure to change your schedule to replace the time lost on work. Hours spent on work could have been used to relax, so balance it out by spending less time working the next day and relax more for the time you used the previous day.
