We all work, right?
Everyday we head into our jobs with the promise of a new day. We say goodbye to our significant other, watch our kids head off to the bus, and take a few special moments with our pets.
This is where everything is in check.
However, at work, there are constant distractions, deadlines, and office politics to contend with.
By the end of it all, you feel as though you are spent. You're tired, overworked, waiting to get home and unwind. As you sit in traffic, you begin to go over all the things that happened, and it begins to fill your thoughts.
No matter the job, we all have things we both enjoy and dismay about our work environment.
Positive or negative, this pull can have an unintended side-effect on our home life. The more energy we spend thinking about somewhere else, the less we have to focus with our families.
The same can be said about our personal lives as well.
No one is going to argue how important it is to take care of our family and friends, and nurture our relationships, but it's also important to nurture our careers too.
Finding the right balance can be a difficult task to master. But by following a few key tips, you can be on your way in no time!
The 5 Tips to Improve Your Work/Life Balance
Tip #1: Focus on Activities that Add Value
By focusing on what moves you and excites you in your personal and professional lives, you maximize your energy. As a coach, I deal in energy, and when we raise our energy up, we feel good. The more we find things in our respective personal and professional lives that motivate us, the better our balance between the two will be.
Tip #2: Make Time For Yourself
We all go, go, go.....so, it's important that remember to take care of ourselves as well. Setting time for friends and family is a must, but if we aren't tending our garden we are going to feel over burdened. Give yourself a break and connect with yourself. Your other connections will benefit greatly.
Tip #3: Focus on Health and Wellness
One of the best ways to increase your energy is with an overall wellness plan.
The reason I bring up energy is because the more you have the more you can use.
When you are feeling good, nothing can stop you! No way.
Exercise, diet, meditation....are all amazing ways to do this and it will improve the quality of your quality time.
Tip #4: Be Realistic
Rome wasn't built in a day. There's nothing wrong if it takes some practice. Start small while attending to all areas in life. Slowly create a plan for yourself to follow and build up to your desired outcome.
Tip #5: Unplug
This is a big one! When you are with your loved ones, unplug from all distractions that take you out of the moment. All technology that is work related has the ability to focus your attention. If your intent is to bring balance back into your home life, this is a great place to start!
Final Thoughts
It can seem difficult, at first, to break an established habit...but that is exactly why the pay off will be so great!
The more you bring your focus back to "why" you want to balance your life, the easier it will become to do so.
I challenge you to try it out on your own and see what comes up! Seriously, take 10 minutes a day and try at least one item on this list.
You will be amazed at how great you feel!
- Armando