Children need to be fed. Careers require attention. Homes need to be maintained. Finding time for one’s self often falls low on the priority list. It’s time to rethink work/life balance. It’s more important than you may realize, but there are sneaky ways to get in some “me time.”
Why is Work/Life Balance so Important?
The pandemic was many terrible things, but it also made people hit the pause button – whether they wanted to or not. For a handful of weeks, many Canadians did not have any extracurricular activities to maintain for their kids, work commutes or social obligations. After the closures and rollback of work-from-home, a study shows that more workers are now choosing careers and jobs based on work/life balance instead of on salary. Once you feel that balance and how it impacts your life, it’s hard to ignore the benefits.
A lack of work/life balance leads to burnout and burnout opens the door to excessive levels of stress, depression, health issues like diabetes, substance abuse, high blood pressure and more. Feeling a lack of control over one’s options and always running from one activity to the next means life is out of balance. When this happens, it is time to pare back. But how?
How to Achieve Work/Life Balance
Spend some time considering what matters the most to you for balance, then make an action plan on how to achieve this.
Can you:
- Work from home?
- Cut back on your children’s after school activities?
- Take a sabbatical or go on stress leave?
Have you:
- Neglected an important hobby?
- Stopped exercising?
- Put off medical appointments?
- Avoided hard conversations at the expense of your inner peace?
It may seem overwhelming but when you itemize ways to have a more balanced life then work out a plan to achieve it, you can start to heal your life.
Sneaky Work/Life Balance Tips
Some things are simply out of your control. You may not have access to a work-from-home scenario or be able to cut back on obligations. Sneak in some “me time” with the following tips:
- Find a quiet place for lunch at work and read a book or play a fun smartphone game. Ensure you get away from your desk.
- Get in mini exercise breaks by walking before or after work, or during lunch. Park a few blocks from your destination. Have a timer on your phone for quick stretch breaks.
- Eating out a lot? Consider meal kits. They are cheaper, healthier and quick to prepare.
- Order groceries online and have them delivered.
- Consider the time you are waiting for your kids at their sports as YOU time. If you don’t have to be on site, use that time to have coffee with a friend or go for a stroll.
- Trade your shower for a bath.
Work/Life Balance – it is Worth It
It’s not easy finding time to find the balance, but it is worth it. Avoid burnout, stress and the health problem they cause by striving for a more balanced life.
This story was made possible by our Community Partners Program. Thank you Didsbury Dental for helping to expand local news coverage in Alberta. Learn more.
