Is work-life balance possible to achieve? Is success directly proportional to the number of working hours? Can you really not have it all – a successful career as well as a fulfilling personal life?
These are all pertinent questions, oft-asked and unsatisfactorily answered. Work-life balance is one of the catchphrases that everyone has been talking about for some years now, but are any of us actually thinking about it or making an effort to attain it? There are some who firmly believe that it is not possible to achieve.
In an interview with CNNMoney’s Christine Romans, Martha Stewart admitted that work-life balance has eluded her. “It’s one of the most difficult things to do, that balance, which is so elusive to most of us,” she said. “It didn’t work for me.”
On the other hand, Richard Branson has attributed his success to work-life balance. “Running a business (or many of them!) can be a stressful endeavour. Looking back over my 50 years as an entrepreneur one of the major keys to my success has been my ability to maintain a healthy balance between work and play.”
Repeated studies have shown us that reducing the number of work hours actually increases productivity. And often it is not the office that demands long-hours, but employees who feel the need to prove themselves by working harder. The reality is that we’re not helping the organisation, and certainly not ourselves, by overworking.
I’m not suggesting that we start bunking office just because these studies have proven that our productivity would improve. Our bosses may not agree with the findings. However, it certainly means that we don’t need to spend our evenings and weekends doing extra work in the hope of producing more or better work. We can spend those extra hours doing something for ourselves instead.
We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.”
– Michelle Obama
Here’s my 7-pointer ‘to-do’ list that I have followed to attain some semblance of work-life balance.
1. Get some ‘me-time’
This is so essential, but often ignored. We need time for ourselves, to do things that makes our lives a little more fulfilling. It could be going for a walk or just watching a movie with a friend. This holds true for singles as well, who often fall in the trap of “Oh you live alone, so you get enough me-time.” Time alone in which we are checking office mail or running errands does not count as me-time.
2. Disconnect
You don’t have to check your Whatsapp message every time the phone pings. Put your phone and other electronic devices away before sleeping. Raise your hand if you too have often fallen asleep with the phone in your hand, only to be woken up by it falling on your face. Now that I keep my phone away, I actually sleep better and wake up feeling more rested.
3. Exercise
Image via Pexels
Enough has been said about this. We all know that exercise is good. If you are the kind of person who loves to run or to do yoga, yay for you. Some of us need a little more motivation. It helps to remember that exercise not only makes us healthier but actually improves our productivity at work. Not to mention the dopamine that gives us a happy high.
4. Write a journal
The benefits of writing a journal are multifold — it helps gather your thoughts, to create a routine, keep records, etc. It need not be a diary. If time-management is your undoing, keep a time journal. Alternatively you could write about food, exercise, daily expenses, meetings or simply maintain a gratitude journal. Do whatever works for you, the important thing is to do it.
5. Quit a bad habit
Admit it. We all have that one bad habit that we would love to drop. For some, it could be smoking. For others, it could be checking their phone every two minutes. Whatever it is, maybe it is time to call it quits. It is so much easier in today’s digital age to quit bad habits, with easily available information about ‘how-to’ and support groups to help you through the process.
6. Meditate
If you are one of those people who find it hard to meditate, just try simple breathing exercises to de-stress. Arianna Huffington’s book Thrive on “redefining success — in order to live a healthy, balanced and meaningful life” recommends different tips, including meditation, as a way to bring well-being in our lives.
7. Meet your friends
Photo by Roberto Nickson (@g) on Unsplash
Friends are good for health and happiness. Seriously. The Grant and Glueck Harvard study conducted over 75 years conceded that close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives.
Marissa Mayer has said “You can’t have everything you want, but you can have the things that really matter to you.” And if you start prioritising the things that matter to you, it is possible for you to enrich your life and come closer to achieving the elusive work-life balance.
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