Achieving Work-Life Balance

Even with competing priorities, you can achieve a work-life balance

Many of my clients come to me feeling frustrated at the lack of balance in their lives. That common theme can affect any of us at different points in our lives, and it can feel overwhelming to devote equal time or energy to all areas of life. However, a realistic work-life balance is not about equal division of resources – it’s much more about taking a mindful approach to how you spend your time and where you invest your precious energy.

The Mental Health Association highlights why working toward balance should matter to every business and individual:

“In our rush to ‘get it all done’ at the office and at home, it’s easy to forget that as our stress levels spike, our productivity plummets. Stress can zap our concentration, make us irritable or depressed, and harm our personal and professional relationships.”

Always striving to be productive actually has the opposite effect. When you burn the candle at both ends, it depletes your energy stores and impacts your ability to focus, create and connect – and it can happen both at work and in our personal lives.

WORK

Technology has created a double-edged sword: While it allows us the flexibility to work anywhere at our convenience, it can lead to a compulsion to stay “on” all the time. Never taking a break from the stress of our to-do lists has serious consequences.

Research shows that overwork can lead to:

• Higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke
• More incidence of depression and anxiety
• Greater chance of experiencing a work-related injury due to inattention
• Potential for substance abuse, including overuse of painkillers
• Lower quality sleep, which in turn increases disease and injury risk and impacts mood
• More anger and pessimism, which can affect personal relationships

To Achieve Work Balance:

Identify other priorities. For many people, a sense of identity and self-worth come from their careers and that can lead to an unhealthy relationship with work. If that applies to you, try reflecting upon your accomplishments and goals in other areas of life. While you might be at the top of your game at work, I suspect there are other things in your life you might enjoy cultivating.

Set limits. Whether you work for yourself or someone else, consider creating a work schedule and stick to it. Leave work at work – even if you work at home. For remote workers, creating a designated workspace and physically leaving that space at the end of work can help.

Work toward short-term and long-term goals. Set achievable daily goals that fit into your longer-term goals; doing this will help you feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day. There will always be more work do to.

HEALTH

Bottom line: If your physical and/or mental health are out of balance, you will not have the capacity to give other areas of your life much attention. Good health serves as the foundation for every other part of life. Stress can have a negative impact on both our mental and physical states; focusing on health can help keep stress in check.

To Achieve Health Balance:

Exercise. Any form of moderate to high-impact exercise can boost both your physical and mental health. It gets your heart pumping and endorphins flowing so that every part of your body – from muscles to lungs to brain – work better.

Eat mindfully. It doesn’t have to be about diets or dropping pounds. It’s about fueling your body and brain with nutrients that allow everything to work better. Aim for a balance (there’s that word again) of quality protein, good carbohydrates, and healthy fats that provide all the energy you need to keep things humming.

Give your mind some love. Your brain controls every movement and every thought you have. When you show it a little TLC, you allow for a better physical and mental flow. From mind-body practices like yoga to learning something interesting and new, you can boost your brain health.

RELATIONSHIPS

I know some of my single clients might cringe when they see this word, but relationships extend beyond the romantic. Whether your personal relationships include a romantic partner, family, friends, neighbors or trusted coworkers, strong social support can help you manage stress and feel more satisfied with life.

Taking time to cultivate your social network can improve your personal motivation, encourage healthier behavior choices and cope with stress better, among other benefits.

To Achieve Relationship Balance:

Make time. Good relationships need the investment of time. If you’re doing nothing but working, you won’t have space in your life for loved ones or friends. Set a goal of meeting a friend, going on a date or participating in a family get-together at least once a month and then build from there. If your favorite people are remote, that’s ok, a phone call or zoom call can get the job done.

Give and receive. Generosity is a two-way street that helps forge bonds between people. In addition to giving your time, give your energy as well. Giving empathy, kind acts and gifts to the people in your life make our relationships more meaningful and supportive.

Branch out. Feeling lonely? Push yourself out of your comfort zone by taking a class, attending an event or inviting a neighbor to dinner. Other people out there are looking for connection, too, and someone needs to make the first move.

FUN

Sometimes overlooked in the work-life balance equation? FUN. It’s not frivolous. It’s part of what makes life worth living.

As reported by NBC, adults need play just as much as children do:

“…as you age, play (especially the social and group kinds) facilitates happiness, wards off depression, improves cognitive health and lowers your risk of developing age-related diseases like dementia.”

Again, if you’re always at work or holed up at home, you’re missing out on a key component of a full and more satisfying life.

To Achieve Fun Balance:

Define fun for yourself. To have more fun, you need to know what that means for you. Start with anything you found fun as a kid – art, sports, games, dance, music, exploration – and build from there. Or maybe you would rather try something new?

Schedule it. Adding fun to your calendar – especially if you have been neglecting it – might feel superfluous, but you likely won’t do it if you don’t make time for it. Start small and then look for more ways to include fun in your regular schedule. Perhaps a walk in the park listening to a podcast or music you enjoy evolves into a weekend camping trip.

Include others. Invite your partner or a friend to join you for a “fun date.” Everything from axe-throwing to trivia night is more fun with others. Even a painting night on your apartment balcony or watching TV with a friend can help you tap into more regular feelings of fun.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Again, the goal here is not to achieve a perfect balance between all areas of life. It is rare that in a given day or week we will be in perfect balance. At different times, certain areas will need more investment from you while others take a back burner position. However, don’t fall into the habit of leaving a particular item on the back burner. If you keep the elements of work, health, relationships, and fun in mind you will be better able to live a long enjoyable life.

And don’t forget that sometimes the elements will overlap. Going on a hike with a work colleague, for example, might hit on all the elements simultaneously! A full, realistically balanced life can fuel your mind, heart, body and spirit. It will help you feel connected and restored rather than isolated and depleted.

To learn more about achieving work-life balance, and how individual counseling can help you in that effort, please contact me.

Sincerely,