So this year I am planning lots more me time. Quality time. A better work life balance. A better balance in many areas of my life! Here’s some ideas for you to do the same.
Spring equinox is a great time to reflect on balance as we move into a warmer season we can reflect on how we may have got out of balance in the colder months, and how we plan to move forward into better balance. For me this was about realizing that although I love my work, it had encroached on my time spent with family and friends. Sad events this year have reminded me of my priorities & the need for me to continually review work life balance.
I realized that it if we continue to over commit, never say no, put off booking holidays, always check emails and social media we are in some way scared of commiting to ourselves. It is as though we feel safe being busy, the common frenzied over work culture making us feel important. Modern society is designed with constant interruptions…email, phones and social media making us available at all times. However this is not good for our health. A key way to protect your mental health against the potential detrimental effects of work related stress is to ensure you have a healthy work-life balance. I see stressed people every day in yoga classes; students with tense jaws and tight shoulders, lack of core strength from constant sitting at desks and in cars,
Work–life balance is a concept including proper prioritizing between “work” (career and ambition) and “lifestyle” (health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development/meditation). This is related to the idea of lifestyle choice…we need to create our environment to support a good work life balance rather than an environment focused on just work. For example not checking work emails at home, not having a desk in your space where you relax, setting specific times for work and those for play/ family/ friends. Making time for yoga and scheduling regular yoga classes into your diary.
I know that even with a job that I enjoy, like mine, it is easy to let work take over our free time. We need a balance in everything we do.
9 ways to improve your work life balance & commit to yourself
- Saying no and being ok with it. Don’t justify your actions or give excuses.
- Only check emails during set hours. Have a cut off point, maybe 6pm, where you tune into your home life not your work life
- Work smarter…I am better as a yoga teacher if I am looking after me than if I am tired physically or emotionally. Make sure you work effectively rather than longer.
- Give yourself time off. Real time off where you don’t feel guilty for the projects you haven’t finished.
- Don’t rush around from one adrenalin boost to another, always keeping busy to keep that rush. Schedule breaks into your day and use them to pause and breathe. Don’t keep running from one thing to the next.
- There are many people better than me at ironing, or gardening, so why not pay someone else to do those jobs so that you can focus on what you are good at.
- Set your own rules. For example I no longer work weekends, or early mornings. Set your boundaries and stick to them.
- Be OK with working less. Just because social expectation is for us to be busy doesn’t mean that you have to conform. Theres a lot of people who re busy planning meetings, sending emails or juggling phone calls and being busy not productive. Decide what you need to get done and focus on that.
- Schedule more yoga classes into your diary..these are time for you to check in wth yourself on every level. Listen to how you feel during your yoga practice & act on it.
