When your life seems out of control and you have endless demands tugging at you from all directions, it is time for you to rethink how you slay work-life balance. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, fatigued – and just plain stressed! But believe it or not, balancing your life does not require massive changes. There are little changes you can make that will bring more balance into your life.
You do not have to quit your job, abandon your family and escape to a remote island to feel peaceful and happy. In fact, true balance is something that starts WITHIN YOU first and foremost – no matter what else is happening in your life. When you learn how to slay work-life balance, you will reduce the chances of burn out.
Below you will find three simple ways to begin building a greater sense of inner peace and
harmony:
Quiet time
One of the first things we tend to sacrifice when we are busy is our personal time. Instead, we devote all of our energy and attention to caring for others, multi-tasking, meeting responsibilities and “being productive.” Over time this depletes our energy and we begin to feel more and more burdened by our responsibilities. To live a more balanced life, quiet time to yourself is CRUCIAL
You may believe that you don’t have any time available for yourself, but something amazing happens when you consistently MAKE time; you find yourself feeling happier and more energetic, your focus improves – and you still get plenty done! Just a few minutes spent sitting quietly in meditation or reading a book can do wonders in transforming stress into peace and happiness.
No one knows the struggle to find quiet time more than a mother with young children. So go on and consciously create quiet time for yourself. [Read: How to Achieve Mum-Life Balance]
Self-care
Beyond making time for things you enjoy, there are other ways to nurture and love yourself on a daily basis. Getting a full 8 hours of sleep (or as much as you personally need) is a great start. In addition, eating nutritious foods, exercising daily and speaking kindly to yourself are also important self-care routines.
Have you ever noticed that when you are really tired or stressed, even the smallest problem can seem like a nightmare? On the other hand, when you are feeling well-rested and centred, you are much better able to handle the demands of life. Caring for yourself is one sure way to consistently replenish your energy, inner peace, and joy. The more you care for yourself and take care of your mental health, the more strength you will have to handle whatever comes your way. [READ: The Work-Life Balance Debate]
Ask yourself how you are going to increase your self-care?
Flexibility
Did you know that one of the biggest causes of stress is rigid expectations? We all do it from time to time; we get a mental picture of how our lives “should be” – and get really annoyed when our outer circumstances don’t cooperate! To slay work-life balance, one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is a flexible state of mind.
In other words, learn how to detach from unrealistic expectations and go with the flow. When you have a flexible mindset, you are able to deal with crises and problems much more easily because you are not working against a preconceived notion of how things “should be”. By being able to tap into your creative problem-solving skills you are able to move through challenges without all the drama and frustration.
[Tweet “Be like the tree that bends with the breeze – and you will be much less likely to break!”]
These inner changes can make a dramatic difference in your state of well-being, but you may also want to examine your outer life circumstances and see if there are other small changes you can make to help support your inner work.
For example, you might choose to let go of certain obligations that are no longer meaningful or enjoyable to you. Just because you agreed to host weekly meetings for a support group three years ago does not mean you have to keep doing it forever. Be kind to yourself, get comfortable with saying no and watch out for the things that drain your time and energy! Life is about being flexible enough to make changes that are necessary to create more balance. This way you will create a space for greater fulfilment, joy, and peace. [Read: Top Parenting Trends for the New Decade]
Mums find quiet time for yourselves, take care of yourself and be flexible. Try these simple steps and share with us how you slay your work-life balance and daily demands.
