Whether you’re a working or stay-at-home mom, entrepreneur, or building your professional career path, work-life balance is an ongoing juggling act. The older we get, the more demands we have on our time and responsibilities. There’s a reason for the term “adulting” – getting out of bed, going out into the world, and working towards or goals and dreams, in the hopes, that all the hard work pays off and we are where we want to be in life!
On this journey, there will be moments where we overwork ourselves, stress builds up, and we may crash and burn. However, the following tips can help ensure crashing and burning doesn’t happen often… the key is in the balance!
DAILY FREEDOM BREAK
Set aside 30 minutes to an hour a day for yourself. This time is dedicated to doing nothing at all or a relaxing activity of your choice, such as catching an episode of your favorite show, walking the dog, meditation, a fitness class, or even taking a nap. This is your daily freedom break to decompress and boost productivity, especially on days that are hectic.
KEEP A SCHEDULE & STICK TO IT
Maintain a schedule and don’t overbook. Meetings and networking can take up a lot of time. Make sure to use your calendar and keep it up to date in real time to avoid double booking or overbooking. Keep a mental note of how busy you want to be and plan accordingly.
SAY NO WHEN NECESSARY
Don’t be afraid to say no. Many times we get bombarded with tons of opportunities or conflicting events. It’s difficult to be at various places at the same time, and oftentimes 24 hours a day doesn’t feel like enough. There is power in turning things down, even if friends and family may feel rejected (just don’t be mean about it or else you’ll never be invited again, ha!). Only you are responsible for your wellness so don’t spread yourself thin and compromise your well-being in the process.
GET THOSE CHECK-UPS AND Zzzs
Health and sleep are vital to overall wellness. Incorporating exercise, healthy eating habits, and getting enough sleep are cliché to mention, but there’s a reason for it. Many people compromise these areas because life gets stressful and busy and we’ve all heard this one before “I just don’t have the time.”
But it is important to ensure we get regular check-ups at the doctor, especially the older we get, to ensure our bodies are okay, eating nutritious foods that help the body function at its best, and getting sufficient sleep to give our bodies the recharge and reboot it needs. It is not possible to be productive when sickness and sleep deprivation takes over.
VACAY & DISCONNECT WHILE AWAY
Believe it or not, Americans don’t take enough vacation! However, vacation is one of the best ways to reward ourselves after weeks or months of work, work, work, work, work, work (Rihanna voice). Treat yourself to rest and relaxation, somehow, even if you may not be able to afford a dream vacation at the moment.
It is worthwhile to disconnect during vacation, this means, no phones, texts, emails, messages, etc. Turn on those out-of-office auto replies, let your clients know in advance you will be out of town and unreachable, and enjoy your time away! Some people struggle with this, but the whole point of vacation is to be on vacation.
Swim, visit interesting places, sit by the beach, and read a book, whatever brings you joy! This does wonders to work-life balance. It allows you to break away from routine a bit to allow inspiration and ideas to flow… on vacation while reading a book is how Lin-Manuel Miranda got inspired to write Hamilton. Seriously, don’t feel guilty and take vacation! You deserve it, in fact, you owe it to yourself.
Not everyone’s work-life balance is the same, demands and responsibilities differ from person to person, but what is critical for overall wellness and self-care is to be intentional in maintaining balance. The more you practice creating boundaries around work and life, the easier it gets to know when to back away from work and give yourself time to reflect, play, spend quality time with family or friends, and rejuvenate. Until we can clone ourselves (ha!), the work-life balancing act continues!
MelimeL is a creative artist, graphic designer, poet, and mompreneur. Among the many things MelimeL is involved in, she is CEO and Founder of design company, MelimeL Digital Art Design, and is passionate about women empowerment and hosts an annual Women Empowerment Event during Women’s History Month in NYC. Read her interview on LadyBossBlogger here.