Balance is a huge aspect of your daily life.
Yet, it’s what we struggle with the most.
So, if you’re currently drowning under the weight of the hustle and crave a more balanced approach, keep reading!
I’m about to show you how to create a healthy work-life balance that serves you!
What does work-life balance mean?
Work-life balance refers to the equilibrium between the demands of your career and the demands of your personal life, including socialising, being a homebody and taking ample care of your well-being.
It’s about having the ability to manage and allocate time and energy to both work-related and non-work-related activities.
In theory, your work and life should be at a 50/50 equal balance. And if one side is given more attention than the other, then this will cause an imbalance.
But let’s face it — finding and maintaining a 50/50 balance isn’t always going to be realistic.
Some days will demand more from you work-wise, and others will demand more from you life-wise.
Instead of focusing on an equal balance, lean into a fluid work-life harmony, one that ebbs and flows depending on your workload, priorities and needs.
It’s also essential that you don’t copy what everyone else is doing.
Because your bestie’s ideal 50/50 balance might mean something completely different to you.
So, although a worldwide textbook definition of work-life balance does exist, I encourage you to make your own (more on this later).
Benefits of having a work-life balance
Despite what the hustle culture will have you believe, there are numerous benefits to having a work-life balance.
Yes, I could sit here and list all the basic benefits, such as:
- Increases job and career satisfaction
- Improves productivity and focus
- Cultivates stronger relationships with friends and loved ones
- Reduces stress and overwhelm
- Boosts mood and mental well-being
- Maintains good mental health
- Improves physical health
- Allows you to be more present
But finding a healthy balance between work and life is so much more than all of that.
Maintaining a work-life balance is the foundation of creating a more balanced and fulfilling life overall.
5 steps to creating a work-life balance that serves you and your needs
I feel like we’re constantly struggling to find the ideal work-life balance.
We compare ourselves to others and marvel at how they manage to navigate their time, and so we try to do the same. We jam-pack our week with tasks, projects, meetings and other work commitments and then mindlessly rush through our weekends, trying to check off the “life” box.
It’s not rocket science to figure out why we’re constantly busy.
Self-care then becomes another thing to add to an already long list of things to do. And instead of actually enjoying this meaningful practice and benefiting from it, we view it as a chore.
The truth is — work-life balance is not an elusive thing that only a handful of people can experience.
You can achieve work-life balance because you are the one in control of creating that balance.
You are the one in control of what that balance looks like to you.
For that reason, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for creating an ideal work-life balance. It is unique to you and will most likely change daily depending on your needs.
So before you buy into the “5-step plan to achieve the perfect work-life balance” just remember that it probably won’t be realistic or sustainable for you. You need to create a work-life balance to serve you and your own needs! And this how-to guide is about to show you how.
I encourage you to bookmark this blog post so you can refer back to it whenever you need to.
1 | Define what ‘work-life balance’ means to you
Just like how everyone has a different definition of success, wellness, self-care, productivity, etc., your definition of work-life balance doesn’t have to be what everyone else says it is.
Like I said before, work-life balance is unique to you. And so is its meaning.
Here’s how to figure out your definition of work-life balance…
Step 1 — Write “work-life balance” at the centre on a piece of paper
Step 2 — Draw a circle around it
Step 3 — Create a mind map by breaking “work-life balance” down into 5-8 smaller areas
For example, work-life balance for me looks like this:
- Completing all my todos for the day
- Feeling accomplished with my work
- Making meaningful connections IRL and online
- Having me-time
- Dedicating time in the morning to prepare for the day
- Spending quality time with John
Once you’ve pinpointed your work-life balance areas, you now know what to give attention to.
2 | Set an intention behind your work-life balance
Whenever you start something new, it’s important to establish an intention so you can make it relevant to you
It’s so easy to be influenced by other people and start following their version of work-life balance. But as you can probably tell from my content, I believe in doing things on your own terms.
So to do this, figure out what needs to change in your daily life to make you feel healthier and more balanced.
Ask yourself, “What am I looking to gain from my work-life balance?”
Is it to have healthier working hours and set clearer boundaries?
Or is it to be more present in your day-to-day life?
Whatever your intention is, write it down and use this as the basis of your work-life balance so you no longer get influenced by what others are doing.
3 | Establish your work-life balance goals
Just because you’ve defined your version of work-life balance and set an intention doesn’t mean you’re any closer to creating it.
You need to now map out a set of mini-goals that will help bring you closer to your version of work-life balance.
Here’s how…
Grab the mind map you created in step one.
Go through each work-life balance area and rate them on a scale between 1 to 10 — 1 being the least satisfied and 10 being the most satisfied. (This is based on how you are currently feeling.)
Take the 3 areas that have the lowest scores and use these as the focus of your goals. What do you need to do to bring these scores closer to a 10?
Write down your answers and turn these into SMART goals.
4 | Break down your goals into daily actions
Turn your work-life balance goals into simple, achievable actions that you can easily fit into your daily schedule.
For example, if you want to spend more quality time with your family in the evenings, you might want to first consider building the habit of leaving your phone in another room so there are zero distractions on your end.
By breaking down your goals, you can get clear on what steps you need to take to reach your goal, making the process appear a lot more straightforward and less overwhelming.
I also don’t recommend going all in and trying to reach all of your goals at once.
Instead, stick to one goal at a time (start with the goal which will have the biggest influence on your work-life balance or will impact other areas).
Once you’re consistently working towards that goal and feel more satisfied in that area, you can then think about introducing a new goal into the mix.
5 | Stay flexible
Your needs will most likely change daily or weekly depending on what demands you have going on in your work and home life. It’s, therefore, important to remain flexible in case your definition of work-life balance or goals change suddenly.
The easiest way to stay flexible on a daily basis is to check in with your mind and body every morning. Get into the habit of asking yourself;
“What does my day need to look like for me to feel balanced?”
Be mindful that this could look different each day depending on your needs and priorities. For example, maybe tomorrow you’ll want to spend more time resting and practising self-care, but the next day is all about being productive and reserving your evening for having dinner with friends.
So yes, even though you’ve defined what work-life balance means to you and you’ve mapped out your goals, don’t underestimate the power of your needs.
One day, instead of working towards your goal of being more present at mealtimes, you might simply need to pause in between tasks to feel more balanced.
Always prioritise your needs first.
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Final thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this blog post on how to create a healthy work-life balance that serves you and your needs.
If you’re currently struggling with the weight of the hustle, then I hope the above tips give you some comfort in knowing that creating balance is possible for you.
I encourage you to bookmark this page so you can refer back to it whenever you need to.
Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a work-life balance.
Yes, it’s up to you to find out what works best for you, but you don’t have to do it alone.
As a Certified Health and Wellness Coach, I can help you bridge the gap between thinking about the concepts within this blog post to taking committed action.
Together, we will turn these ideas into a personalised 12-week plan so you can navigate and balance your day without the overwhelm.
Email me ‘ready’ and let’s make it happen!
You’ve got this,
Thalia xx
