Lets talk about Work life balance
Establishing a work life balance is a flexible, fluid process due to the inevitable nature of our personal needs and resources constantly changing.
Based on your job, your mood, your energy, and a million other factors, the “right” balance for you will vary from day to day. It also varies from person to person. There is no one size fits all approach since we all have very different needs.
The overarching goal for a work life balance is to grow professionally without sacrificing your personal life. Often times life ENJOYMENT can be sacrificed to “get ahead”, “do more”, “be more”. The striving to get to the top and being the best seems to have reached a dangerous level. While there is nothing inherently wrong with striving for your best or “hustling”, not making time to invest in other parts of yourself and your life can lead to burnout, chronic stress, and life dissatisfaction.
Being successful does not equate to being fulfilled. So how can you seek fulfillment in multiple areas of your life while achieving success? My personal beliefs are that we need to shift our definitions of success to include more holistic wellbeing. Earning money and recognition may be nice, but it doesn’t actually lead to a full, meaningful life. Its a narrow perspective. We each need to determine what we find meaningful and valuable professionally and personally
Some practical tips to consider:
Determine how to best manage your time. This allows you to choose how you invest time outside of work hours. We can’t possibly make time for everything, but consider how you can make time for things that matter to you.
Set boundaries with work. Working 24/7 or feeling pressure to work 24/7 does not sound sustainable or healthful. Consider what hours you’re “on the clock” and what hours you’re “off the clock.” PROTECT YOUR TIME.
Make time for leisure, pleasure, and relaxation. Maybe this is making time to meet a friend for a meal or coffee, watch your favorite show, go for a walk, or going on a trip. There may not be the ‘perfect’ time for this as job responsibilities may ‘never end’ but taking time away can actually boost productivity and rejuvenate you.
As cliche as it sounds, make time for self care. This may mean grocery shopping, doing laundry, getting enough sleep, etc. This may also mean holding off on doing laundry or cleaning so you can have a moment to sit and relax (see how nuanced and individualized this can be?). REGARDLESS, DONT SACRIFICE YOUR BASIC HUMAN NEEDS. The long term consequences of doing so will NOT be worth it.