Learn about some very powerful tips that we use ourselves to achieve work-life balance.
If there’s one thing the majority of us struggle with over all else, it is striking the perfect work-life balance. You may have achieved success in one of these areas, but until the other is balanced out and functioning at a similar pace to be in harmony together, there will still be difficulties in everyday life.
Delegation and learning to TRUST
Are you guilty of biting off more than you can chew at work? Taking on too much responsibility can have disastrous effects not only on your mental and physical health but also on your home life and personal relationships. Yes, I know you are more than capable of doing a good job, but what about your co-workers? What about the people who are just waiting for their chance to shine and show they are just as efficient as you?
Learning the art of delegation is so important, especially if you have responsibility for others at work. Trust that they will do as good a job as you would. Allow for tasks to be delegated and split between co-workers, rather than trying to do too much yourself.
This is a tool for many business owners and management teams to learn in their search for work-life balance and it comes with practice and a definitive learning curve. Sharing the workload is easy when you have trust in your partners/employees, and this trust is only built over time and slowly leaving tasks in their hands, allowing you more time and energy to focus in other areas of your life.
Delegation allows us to slowly learn to trust more, to relax into the flow of things as they happen, and to start enjoying the process of completing tasks rather than rushing to ensure it’s all done!
"The inability to delegate is one of the biggest problems I see with managers at all levels" - Eli Broad
The art of unplugging
‘Unplugging’ is the new taboo word for workers of all spheres - especially those working in tech or in online businesses. The studies have proven that the more screen-time we get, the less capable and engaged we are at participating in everyday life. This means that our work-life balance becomes confused and the body has a harder time relaxing at night, conserving enough energy for everyday tasks, and conversing face to face in real life and not through a screen!
Even if you don’t work online, the less time spent with your head in a laptop or phone screen the
better - your relationships will improve, and you’ll find yourself inhabiting an overall happier mindset, free from comparison to other people’s seemingly perfect and filtered lives.
If you work at a desk or from a laptop, try to limit the number of tabs you keep open as you work - keep open only those that are relevant to the task at hand. Make sure to stand up and move your body at least every 2 hours, and maintain an awareness of any spine-curvatures or upper back pain developing (this might be a sign your posture needs correcting).
Find a work-life balance by unplugging, and see your work AND your life improve!
"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for several minutes - including you"
What makes your morning "good"?
“A daily ritual is a way of saying; I’m voting for myself. I’m taking care of myself” - Mariel Hemingway
There’s nothing better than setting and following certain morning rituals in the quest to achieve a better work-life balance. Setting yourself up each day in a beneficial way greatly impacts productivity and motivation to continue the day on in a similar fashion.
The key to morning rituals is to make them SIMPLE. Simple and realistic to your lifestyle, environment, and unique circumstances. It could be a morning run, a yoga practice, meditation session, or even something as simple as taking the time to write a daily affirmation and sticking it to your mirror, or preparing and drinking a cup of your favourite tea. Whatever it is, committing to a ritual like this in the morning will hugely impact how the rest of your day unfolds.
Taking time for yourself in this way before tackling any work responsibilities ensures you can do so from a place of more grounded awareness and self-assured capability. The self has been attended to; your cup has been filled - now you can move forward to pour from it.
What fills your cup?
"You can’t pour from an empty cup - take care of yourself first"
Move your body!
Both work and play must exist to achieve balance!
You’ve gotten adequate sleep, you’re nourished with some healthy, balanced meals, and now you’re wondering why you’re still feeling drained and lethargic…
The funny thing is, even if we give our bodies all of this necessary downtime to recharge and refuel, the energy is likely to stay dormant unless we start to MOVE our bodies in a way that feels good!
Exercise is key to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and whether you consider exercise to fall under the ‘work’ category or the ‘life’ category, that doesn’t change the fact that movement is key to healthy functioning and happiness.
Even if you can’t make it to the gym or out for a run, there’s nothing wrong with turning up some of your favourite music and dancing to shake off that excess stress and anxiety. Cultivating a healthy attitude towards exercise is what this is all about - moving not to just ‘lose weight’ or compensate for eating, but moving to feel energized and good!
"In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you" - Deepak Chopra
Manage your energy
Energy Management is the Key to Success
The problem with being overworked and undercharged is that there will always be one area that suffers. Whether this is your home life, personal relationships, or your work productivity and success, it all comes down to this:
We only have a certain amount of energy.
This energy fluctuates within a given day and depending on certain factors like diet, activity levels, and mental stimulation, we will have times of peak, and more often than we'd like to admit, crashes throughout the day. The goal is to balance this energy out, so these fluctuations
aren’t so extreme. Acknowledging the positive and the negative manifestations of energy levels, how they affect our work and home life, and slowly getting to know when we function at our best is part of achieving work-life balance.
Are you a morning person? Do you have to stay late at the office to get any work done? How could these things be altered to ensure you get a better balance and can start to manipulate your energy to suit your needs and lifestyle?
Start by simply noticing your energy levels - when is it at its highest? When do you tend to hit ‘slumps’ or ‘lows’? And what can be done to counteract these and return your energy closer to balance?
Energy awareness is KEY to work-life balance!
"Energy flows where intention goes"
Time for nourishment
The simplicity of meal prep
Preparing healthy meals for your busy work week in advance is a great way to set yourself up for a week of balance between work challenges and lifestyle.
Knowing that you have a healthy, balanced meal prepared for you at home can add a considerable amount of ease and satisfaction to those final hours of your workday. This
minimizing stresses about what to make for dinner, removing the need to visit the store on the way home, and also puts you in control of your nutrition every day ahead of time!
Nutrition and regular mealtimes can be challenging to ensure when you work week to week and rarely have time to put some thought into cooking food. Preparing thought out meals with your health and nourishment in mind during the weekend is a great way to prioritize your nutrition and as such your entire life. A balanced, healthy mind and body will allow you to function at your highest and maximize productivity, success, and overall job satisfaction.
What are your favourite meals to pre-cook?
You can pack in advance, use containers and place them in the fridge or freezer, or even bring them with you to the office to ensure their proximity when you need them!
What are you waiting for?
"Proper nutrition is key to overall healthy functioning."
Healthy boundaries
“Givers need to set limits because takers rarely do” - Rachel Wolchin
Do you find it difficult to set healthy boundaries in the workplace or at home?
Do you find yourself always giving more and more, while those around you neglect to return the favour?
Not having healthy boundaries in your work and personal life can easily lead to a poor work-life balance. This means knowing when to say NO to taking on extra work when to agree to certain social events and when not to, and when to attend to the emotional needs of others before catering for your own first.
It’s not selfish - it’s a necessary skill to learn to cultivate and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
In the case of family and personal life, this can prove slightly more challenging, but it doesn’t
make it any less important. Take a while to reflect on your boundaries and values, and
go forward from here to achieve a work-life balance you’ll be proud of!
"No is a complete sentence." – Anne Lamont
How's your balance?
The Best Things in Life Bring Us Joy
You only have one life, and don’t you deserve to get some joy out of your day?
I hope that this blog helped you gain some perspective about the ways that you can balance your work throughout your life.
I’m so happy that you joined me for this experience and I’d love to hear from you about what your biggest takeaway was from this blog! Shoot me a message with any feedback you have - I’d love to hear it!
Also, please know that even though our time together here is over, I’m still available as a resource to you when and if you need it.
- Amit Ambegaonkar
Business Consultant, Professional Speaker, International Best Selling Author, and Certified Success Trainer.