Mr Scorpio Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 How do you achieve work life balance? Tips? Advice? Link to post Share on other sites
LoveMachine67 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Good question! I have a great interest in this topic also. Link to post Share on other sites
Michelle ma Belle Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 (edited) Oh boy... My career is VERY stressful and there have been many years where I would literally make myself ill over it. It was ALL work and no play and worse, my time with my children was sacrificed. When I separated from my husband, I started on a path of serious self discovery. Work was just one piece of the puzzle I needed to address. I'm not going to lie and tell you it was easy or that it was instantaneous because it wasn't. It was slow and gradual but I think I've arrived at a very healthy space both in my work life and in my personal life which is why I'm very protective of it. The first step is realizing that work doesn't stop with you. It means that if you dropped dead tomorrow (God forbid) there are plenty of other people who could and would fill your shoes in a heartbeat and get the job done. You're just a wheel in the cog at the end of the day. The second step and probably the BIGGEST hurdle for ME was asking for help and delegating work. I am a control freak when it comes to my job. My job is all about the details and I take great pride in anticipating every detail particularly since my name is attached to each project. My reputation and integrity relies on it and therefore is important to me. It's a hard thing to do and something I'm STILL working on today but I have come a long way with it and it has made a massive difference. The third step is setting boundaries. When I work, I work. I'm focused, I plan out my days, make lists and tackle them one by one until everything is done. When I go home, I rarely bring work home with me and use that time to bond with my children, connect with friends and recharge. I'm very protective of my private time and although there are some exceptions where work infringes on my personal life on occasion, I make sure to bank those extra hours and take that time in lieu when it works in my busy schedule. The other element is making sure you actually have a life to enjoy outside of work. Unless you're a workaholic that lives and breathes work, you should spend some time cultivating friendships and relationships with other people and do things that relax you, entertain you, connects you and basically feeds your soul. I'm lucky to work for an organization that despite the stress and pressure, they value work/life balance and encourage it. I realize not every workplace is like this but it isn't impossible to find ways to create balance if you look at your situation closely. I hope that helps in some way. Edited May 28, 2015 by Michelle ma Belle 2 Link to post Share on other sites
gemo-opus Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I don't tell others about work. And I make time to do my own thing after work. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Haydn Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 You mean making time for a few bevies or balancing family and work? Probably both..... It is crucial to have time for myself, even if thats just a few hours in the evening, i can do that now. In my 20`s i worked 14 hour days and sometimes even longer. Fell into the trap a lot of Brits fall into. Finish work at 8pm, hit the pub with mates, get home, sleep... work again from 7am.... Hit pub again at 8. It was quite a cycle that me and a few million others were caught up in. But i was working towards something. Now i make a huge amount of time for family and general fun. Depends on many factors. Not easy to answer Mr S. Link to post Share on other sites
acrosstheuniverse Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Find a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life... ... not always possible, for many people, but worth thinking about. The basics work for me. Outside of work make time to see friends and really put effort into my relationships with people, arrange friend dates to see them so weekends aren't wasted and I get that wonderful feelings of being close and connected to the people I love. Volunteer doing something I love, the sense of accomplishment and humility that comes from volunteering is irreplaceable. Eat well (three meals a day, stay within reasonable calories), drink rarely, drink 3-4l water per day and keep the caffeine relatively low. My life used to be very very stressful however, 70 hour weeks plus studying plus volunteering, now the studying is over it's only a 40 hour week plus volunteering so I feel like I have all the free time in the world. When I had no choice but to put the long hours in well, it pretty much meant accepting the balance was off for a while and getting my head down and getting through it. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Eternal Sunshine Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 I love my job and I genuinely enjoy working long hours. It was fine when I was single but it's been a bit tough balancing it in my new relationship. My bf has 9-5 job and is free most of the time and wants to see me. He has been pretty understanding so far but I feel that I will need to pull back from the job a bit if the relationship progresses. Link to post Share on other sites
WasOtherWoman Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 I work out of my house, so even though I work lots of hours, I have a ton of flexibility. I do travel some, but on the days that I am home (the majority) I am not wasting time with hair, make-up, commuting, etc. This allows me to have a great balance in a consuming job. Link to post Share on other sites
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