Work / Life Balance

On a training programme some months ago I met a life coach called Amanda Joseph. She kindly wrote me a short article on work life balance:

Be a Better Professional by Finding the Right Work/Life Balance

Creating a successful work/life balance can be difficult, but most people would agree—today's global economy has increased the pressure to succeed! Thanks to the internet and the global market, clients can be located anywhere on the planet, and therefore in many time zones too. This lure of potentially untapped profits can cause many professionals to let their personal lives slide under the guise of "earn now, spend later." Unfortunately, this only creates more stress which can lead to burn out- both at home and at work.

The pressure to be perfect in the roles you have at home is another reason so many people have trouble establishing a successful work/life balance. Many people feel guilty about the number of hours they work. Most people have been taught that home life should come first and that work should come second. In today's economy however, with the financial pressures on everyone increasing almost daily, this cannot always be the case. This might be understood intellectually - but not emotionally.

Many articles talk about the need to find a good work/life balance so that personal relationships (family, friends, etc) don't suffer. What these articles often fail to mention is that finding a proper work/life balance is also important for their professional life as well. When work and home life are unbalanced, people tend to burn out more quickly which damages their careers. When the career suffers, home life suffers and this self perpetuating spiral can quickly get out of control.

So how do you, the average Joe/Joanne, create the perfect work/life balance? One of the first ways is to reduce stress.

Here are a few tips to help you reduce your stress so that you can be a productive member of your professional team:

1. Figuring out which aspects of your life are the most important as well as which things are the most enjoyable will help ease the guilt you might feel when you take time away from one activity to complete another. Be honest with yourself and devote the majority of your time to the things that are most important to you.

2. "You time" is not the same as "Down time." It is important that everyone takes some time for themselves each day, whether it be going for a walk or scheduling a meeting later in the afternoon so that you can relax at lunch. Taking care of yourself will reduce stress, which makes it easier to focus on your work.

3. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not of weakness. Asking for help shows that you are willing to learn and to work as part of a team. This will build esteem with your colleagues as well as with
your friends and family.

In addition to reducing stress, it’s a good idea to ‘take stock’ and see where you are spending your time and energy.

Write a list of things you like to do, a list of things you have to do, and then see how you can balance them.

Maintaining the perfect work/life balance is difficult, but should not be neglected. In short, good balance between home and work will actually make you more productive, successful and happy in all areas of your life.

Ends

You can visit Amanda's website at: www.AJCoaching.com. Amanda works mostly in London and the South East.