Work is not meant to be your entire life, unless you absolutely love your work. Work is meant to be a means to an end – a way to make sure that your personal life is more enjoyable, and that you are able to provide for yourself and your family.
If you have a job that provides you with immense joy, and you and your partner are thriving as a result, then you have either developed the perfect work/life balance, or have managed to find yourself in an ideal place for a more abundant future. But most people struggle with their work life balance:
- Their stressful job bleeds into their personal life.
- They work too hard/too long, and that causes stress in their personal life.
- They struggle to focus on work at all, prioritizing their personal life too much.
Studies have consistently shown that, to lead a happy life, you need what’s known as a “work/life balance.” Your work/life balance is your ability to make sure that your work doesn’t negatively impact your personal life, and that you are able to reduce stresses in both components of your life.
Achieving a Work/Life Balance
Finding out how to achieve a work life balance is something that we look for in life coaching, because everyone’s life, job, and needs are different. Some people really do need to focus on work, and then have to figure out how to balance their home life. Others take their work home for them emotionally, letting their stress and negativity from work affect their personal life. Others give nothing to work, partying and trying to live it up without trying to grow professionally.
There are so many different potential issues at play, that it takes personal exploration and an in depth look at your life to determine the best way to balance your professional and personal life. But in the interim, consider the following:
- Have a Schedule of Activities – Taking work home with you is usually the most common issue with work/life balance, with most people doing very little at home or being frustrated at home because of work. Give yourself activities to do instead and stay busy after work so that you don’t have to get into this habit of doing nothing and being “blah.”
- Openly Communicate – You have to bring your walls down and communicate with your work, your partner, your kids – anything you need. Let them know what’s on your mind, what your challenges are, etc. You also need to listen to what they need, and try your hardest to let others in your life know that you’re there for them too.
- Take Trips – You have vacation time, sick days, weekends, and more. They belong to you, and your work isn’t allowed to take them from you. So make sure you also take advantage of those vacation times, that you stay home when you’re sick (or even if you’re not once in a while), and that you get off work when you’re off work and come straight home.
You should also make sure you’re around others, and that you don’t let yourself be alone. Being around others can be energizing and, at the very least, makes it less likely you’ll be stuck alone with your own thoughts.
Growing in Your Work/Life Balance
This, of course, is only the beginning. Your own personal experiences and life right now needs to be taken into account. But maintaining an effective work life balance should be your priority, especially when you’re finding that your personal life is struggling as a result of your work life. Try your best to find out how to maintain that work life balance, or contact me today to learn more about coaching for your personal and professional life.
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