Today I am going to hit on a common thread I am asked about – how do you manage to get that work-life balance ? I’ll be the first person to tell you that it’s not easy, in fact, owning a business is the hardest thing I’ve done in my life so far. And I’m far from perfect and there isn’t always a perfect equilibrium. There are just as many highs and successes as there are lows and sacrifices to be made.
I learn something new each day about myself, about what I do, and how to stay balanced and am incredibly passionate talking about this and want to share “all the things” I’ve come to learn in hopes that it helps you balance your work-life situation!
Work-Life Balance
Is work-life balance an elusive unicorn? What does work-life balance look like for you? Is this something people are actually able to achieve? And when you get there, do you know that you’re even there?
Take the time to ask yourself these questions.
Here are my top tips and good practices for cultivating work-life balance to help you feel your best! ‘Because we ALL can use more of this.
1. Manifest a morning routine.
It all starts with how you wake up and what you make time for first thing in the morning that sets the tone for your entire day. I’m a huge advocate for self-care in the morning and doing things I absolutely love that keep me centered and healthy. It allows me to be incredibly productive and efficient.
If you need a little help creating your morning routine, check out this book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod – this is pretty much what I do everyday!
2. Nourishment!
This is an obvious one coming from me but so true. What we fuel and nourish our bodies with, will inherently make or break our energy bank. I’m not too keen on the “what I ate in a day” style of posts, but for the sake of giving you some guidance.
Check these nourishing foods off your list each day, consume:
- plenty of filtered water (adding lemon or making your Infused Waters1 helps!),
- healthy fats make our bodies and brains really happy (especially ones rich in omega-3’s),
- protein to keep us satiated, energized, and rebuild and repair after our workouts, and
- fiber rich vegetables galore for nutrients = satiety !
3. Move that body!
No matter if you’re self-proclaimed recreational athlete, fit, a beginner, yogi, etc.; we all can benefit from movement. In fact, studies2 have shown that the more we move our bodies, the better our critical and creative thinking increases – so the next time you’re stuck in an idea rut with work or personally, take it outside for a quick walk!
I make sure I start my day with a quick 30-minute workout – which might be a run around my local park/down at the beach or following a yoga routine from a DVD. I make sure this is all done by 7am – so I have a full day ahead to focus.
4. Learn something new every single day.
Challenge yourself with new content – this doesn’t have to be work related but it can be. Another way of looking at it is in the general sense of living life! What are the hobbies you’ve wanted to take up? What about activities you’ve wanted to try but haven’t made the time for it? A book you’ve wanted to read or a skill you’ve wanted to master?
Learning something new expands our minds, our skills, and teaches us new ways to be innovative, creative, and mindful.
5. Set those boundaries, baby.
Last year was a huge shift for me in the word boundary and saying no! (Its way harder than you think) Learn to say no to the things that don’t “sit well” with you or have high costs associated with doing the task/activity – and by costs I am not talking about money.
Ask yourself what is the true cost of doing some activity/task that you truly don’t enjoy or knowing your skills can be used better elsewhere. For example, a true cost of a task could be your vital energy, your health, your happiness! There’s a time and place for pushing through and making sacrifices even if we don’t want to do a job/task/obligation, but knowing the difference between this and compromising your joy is key.
As one of my favorite quotes says: If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no.
6. Set goals.
What are your goals with work, your social life, self-care, relationships, etc.? Write these down and make a plan of action to work towards these. These can be long-term focused or daily; for example with daily goals simply write out what “must” be done, what you’d “like” to get done, and what can “wait” if those tasks take you longer than you expected.
Set a timeline – when will these goals be achieved? For daily goals, try writing down a time that you’ll finish task XYZ. Give yourself a time limit and stick with it!
7. Clear space, clear mind.
I’m a big believer in atmosphere and creating a positive vibe in my work area – this could be working from home or choosing the right coffee shop depending on what I’m doing that day. For example, if I’m writing a blog, I’m either in a quiet coffee shop sipping on some tea and have a long list of posts to finish today or I might be at home.
So, whether you’re working from home, your desk at work, the office, school, or a coffee shop make your space clear of clutter and set up the way you like that makes you feel most productive and focused.
8. Work smarter, not harder.
This is one of the most cliché sayings about work, yet it’s so true when you break it down. Working smarter (same with working out smarter) is about being efficient, focused, and productive rather than filling your time just to feel “busy”. There’s a big difference between busy or spending time with focused productivity.
Do you find yourself saying “what did I get accomplished today? I felt like I was working hard, but I didn’t get anything done!” at the end of the day? Try this: take inventory of when your energy is most focused for said task/activity. Identify where your energy is highest and knock out those high priority items on your goal list at that time.
If I have a task that I really don’t want to do, then I make sure I do it first thing – then it is completed rather than hanging over me. I then have a sense of accomplishment rather than a heavy feeling of dread.
9. Sleep more.
Rest is essential for a balanced well-being, but also for focus in your work so that you can work smarter, not harder, and make room for other things you love in life. Bad sleeper or want to improve your sleep, check out this blog post on How To Eat Your Way to a Goodnights Sleep3.
10. There’s more to life than work.
Know when to have fun, relax, and be wise about what you do when you turn off work. Creating work-life balance is about scheduling and making goals with the fun things in life as much as it is professional accomplishments.
Remember that we’re here in this world to live, laugh, love, and feel happiness too! This might come off cheesy and superficial when I talk about happiness, but it’s true and sometimes we all need a little reminder and check.
Have fun with the things you choose to do outside of your working time – be choosy about the energy of people you’re hanging out with, and always honor what you truly need. Even if that means staying in with a cozy blanket, tea, and a book or going out to get drinks with your friends!
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