The concept of balancing both your work-life and your home/family life can be difficult to actually implement into your daily routine. Of course, it sounds great in theory but then the busyness of life takes over and you can find yourself struggling to keep up.
But what exactly is a work-life balance?
Before putting this balance into action, having a clear definition of what this harmony means can help you stay organized, level headed and actually perform better in both aspects of life.
Life Balance
Lifestyle balance starts with narrowing your focus. Concentrate on the main aspects of your life that are important to your mind, body, and connections with others. Here are some examples:
1. Your health
2. Family and friends
3. Relationships
4. Finances
5. Personal/Spiritual growth
6. Hobbies or fun activities
Try writing down what is most important to you so you can see it on paper, creating a lasting imprint in your mind. By prioritizing these essential and vital parts of your life, you can achieve the happiness, financial organization and interpersonal connections that will allow you to take a break from your work and rejuvenate yourself. That way you will be fresh and ready to tackle your work life.
Work Balance
So what does your work life expect from you? What do you expect from them? This balance goes both ways.
Your company wants from you:
1. Time
2. Performance
3. Engagement
4. Commitment
5. Knowledge
You want from the company:
1. Time
2. Compensation
3. Communication
4. Collaboration
5. Promotion
6. Recognition
With this factors in the forefront of your mind, evaluate what your priorities are and consider how each can serve in your balance. Reflect on where change is needed. Otherwise, you will continue to feel unfulfilled and unbalanced. Possible changes could include, changing employers/careers or communicating your issues and concerns to your boss.
Finding a balance may take some time and/or trial and error. But the result of achieving this harmony will far outweigh the potential struggle it may take to get there. This active and present approach will allow you to perform better at work with a clear, organized focus, be the maker of your own destiny and create the control you desire for your life.
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With meetings, deadlines and an overall sense of "busy" in our work day, it is common to feel tired or burnt out at your job. And sometimes, coffee just isn’t going to cut it.
Your health and well-being are extremely vital to your success at work. Even when you are in busy mode, you mustn’t forget about what your mind and body needs on a daily basis to function properly. Negative habits can accumulate and can form some unhealthy results.
But don’t worry, it is a lot easier than you think! Here are 5 easy ways to revitalize yourself during your work day that will help you stay happy, healthy and more productive.
1. Drink Water
We are told this a lot, but are we really listening?
Water is life, as they say, and its list of benefits is lengthy. Water helps to reduce weight gained from sitting for long periods of time. It boosts your energy and helps with stress-related headaches and sleeplessness. It even aids your immune system so you are less likely to get sick.
The trouble for a lot of people is remembering to drink enough throughout their day. There are a number of water apps for your phone that will remind you to keep drinking. Bring a large water bottle with you to work every day and set a goal to drink the entirety of its contents before you leave for the day. Place a glass of water on your bedside table to remind you to start your day with plenty of H20. This simple steps will make a world of difference.
2. Eat More Plants
There are tons of studies, such as this one, that has shown that people who eat a largely plant-based diet are less prone to disease and live longer than people who do not. A simple google search can rely upon the immense amount of benefits from feeding your body more fruits and vegetables and less meat and dairy. By eating more plants and eliminating processed foods and sugars at work (that vending machine is not your friend) your energy will stay up, your focus will remain clear and you won’t experience any of those midday slumps from a heavy, meat based lunch.
Luckily, many grocery stores carry prepackaged and pre-cut fruit and veggie so you can grab those easily, instead of a bag of chips. There are many easy to find sources, especially on Youtube, that provide snack and meal ideas that are simple to prep and easy to bring with you.
You are what you eat!
3. Move Your Body
We cannot talk about health without including exercise. Exercise has been proven to boost critical reasoning, confidence, retentive memory and enhanced general well-being, which can crucially affect your work day. It is not only a method of staying thin and getting fit, but exercise is extremely powerful at preventing chronic disease, reducing blood pressure and benefiting the immune system. It is also excellent for the brain!
There are many ways to stay moving even if you work in an office. Walk to work, if you can, or park your car farther away from the building. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk on your lunch break. Invest in a yoga ball for your desk to help stabilize your core and keep your blood moving throughout the day.
By making movement a priority in your day, you will definitely see a difference in your energy levels and productivity.
4. Disconnect
It is easy to get so engrossed with our work that we unconsciously get tense or lose clarity. Too much mental tension is counterproductive and unhealthy.
By working in blocks to step away from a project and away from a screen, you can gain refreshment and refocus your mental energy. Disconnect for 15 minutes, 3-4 times a day will clear your mind and sharpen your focus when you return to work. You can take this break to move your body, drink your water or meditate.
5. Sleep
Again, we all know the benefits of sleep and its effect on the brain. It is just a matter of putting it into practice.
While we’re sleeping, the brain actively strengthens connections we need and weeds out the ones we don’t. And what we don’t need is stress, hormone dysregulation, weight gain, inflammation, depression and heart disease. Your risk goes up immensely for all of these issues if you don’t get the proper sleep. Your work is important, but a healthy body is crucial in creating the best version of yourself.
Aim for between seven and nine hours of sleep each day. If you are a scheduler, write in your sleep schedule as if it was meeting you can’t afford to miss.
A healthy lifestyle is not complicated! It takes a few adjusts at first, just like any change, but then it becomes second nature to you. By taking the time to revitalize yourself at work, you can reap the rewards tenfold in your productivity, energy levels, and overall success. Take control of your health and make your body a priority.
You only have one!
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