Balancing Work and Personal Life
"Don't get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life."
Finding the perfect balance between our professional and personal lives can be tough sometimes. Most of us work full time (40 hrs a week) and maybe even more if you have a second job. For me, I find myself consistently modifying my daily routine to balance my day time profession with my blogging business and everyday life. If you have a job that you love, it's easy to pour all of your time and energy into it. Or, if you aren't too happy in your current position, it's likely that you are pursuing your passion in another field. Maybe you're working late nights or on the weekends. I'm all for pursuing our dreams so give everything you set out to do your all. But whether your career is your life or you have a "side hustle", at the end of the day, when your day job is done, I've learned that the key to joy inevitably lies in balance. I don't think we will ever have the perfect balance, but I do believe there are things we can do to help us keep our sanity and lives together. Here are a few tips to help you out:
1. Prioritize
I can't stress this enough. As I talk to you, I'm talking to myself as well. I'm pretty big on making 'To-Do' lists so this may help you as well. If you're limited on the time you have throughout the weekday, take sometime on a Saturday or Sunday before logging in to Instagram or Facebook to note everything. What is it that you need to get done that day? Professionally, make a list of emails, tasks, or phone calls you need to make early in the a.m. and then go back and order everything by importance. Do this for personal things too like food shopping or gasing up the car, walking the dog, or getting your nails done. I find that whenever I make a prioritized list, it creates a more clear cut outline of what's important to get done.
2. Spend Time With Loved Ones & Friends
How easy is it to get caught up in the hustle of work life that you zone out as soon as you get home? Very. We wake up, rush off to work, go through our day, sit in traffic, get home, shower, eat, zone out in front of the t.v., and go to sleep. All to do it all over again the next day. That is not living boo. I want to LIVE life and not be a complete zombie through it. Acknowledging our loved ones around us is so important. Life is short. So I don't take for granted how much support I have around me. I don't ever want my spouse, family, and friends to feel abandoned. Make time with them. I love spending quality time, if it's not date night with my husband, something as simple as a conversation about how our days went or actually eating dinner together fully engaged without a cell phone in hand. I probably talk with my mother and sister nearly every other day. A simple text or planned activity on the weekend will do. Have a wine and cheese night with your girlfriends. Stay connected. Make the time. It will give you something to look forward to and deepen the relationships you have with those you love.
How easy is it to get caught up in the hustle of work life that you zone out as soon as you get home? Very. We wake up, rush off to work, go through our day, sit in traffic, get home, shower, eat, zone out in front of the t.v., and go to sleep. All to do it all over again the next day. That is not living boo. I want to LIVE life and not be a complete zombie through it. Acknowledging our loved ones around us is so important. Life is short. So I don't take for granted how much support I have around me. I don't ever want my spouse, family, and friends to feel abandoned. Make time with them. I love spending quality time, if it's not date night with my husband, something as simple as a conversation about how our days went or actually eating dinner together fully engaged without a cell phone in hand. I probably talk with my mother and sister nearly every other day. A simple text or planned activity on the weekend will do. Have a wine and cheese night with your girlfriends. Stay connected. Make the time. It will give you something to look forward to and deepen the relationships you have with those you love.
3. Exercise
Exercise is an extremely effective stress-reducer. It releases endorphins, which boost your mood and can even inspire additional productivity! The other day on my lunch break I took a 40 minute walk with my supervisor and definitely did me some good. It was a warm sunny day outside and the scenery alone lifted my sort of blah mood I was feeling that afternoon. It's so important to get out of our cubicles or off the couch, even if its just for 20 minutes. Take a walk around the block if you can't find time to hit the gym. With our hectic schedules, it can be so easy to skip a workout but ultimately, it can really boost your energy level and ability to concentrate. I'm telling you what I know.
I think disconnecting is good for the soul. By disconnecting I mean, when you're off work, you're off. Emails and phone calls should be limited to a certain time. Silence your iPhone. Unless your boss demands that you be available at all hours of the day, turn off work e-mail on nights and weekends. I enjoy having a night time routine when I'm off from work. Also known as 'Getting Un-Ready', in which I put down my work bag, take off makeup, take a warm shower, and do a light pamper of skin moisterizers and oils. Lavender oil is actually very relaxing, so I dab it on my wrists and collar bone. When it's time for bed, I may read for about 20 mins and then lights off. Try to power down all electronic devices. Also, make time in your schedule to do hobbies you love. Relax your mind by drinking a cup of tea in silence. If you are out enjoying friends or your significant other put the phone down and fully engage with them. We are so engulfed with social media in the age it's so common to see everyone with their phones in hand staring at their screens. By disconnecting from social media and work we allow ourselves to be fully present in our real lives.
5. Jump Start Your Mornings
Most times I find that by getting up an extra 30 minutes to an hour, allows me to get ready in peace. I hate rushing. When I rush my day is kind of thrown off. The earlier I'm up, I'm more likely to pray or do some devotion ( I'm pushing myself to get better at staying connected to God daily). It really does the soul good. I have time to make a decent breakfast and groom myself just how I like. If I'm doing really good, the night before I'll even prep my outfit, breakfast and lunch for the next day. It doesn't always happen this way- I too have struggle mornings- but when I do map it all out like this, those mornings are the best.
Early on in my work career, I struggled with having a balance with work and home life, especially when I attended college. Now that I'm a little older with more experience, I've been able to recognize my weaknesses and improve. How do you keep balance with work and personal life? I'd love to know.