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Let's start by asking you a question. What does work-life balance mean to you? People often misunderstand the concept and over the years have given different meanings and perceptions to the term.
Let’s start by asking you a question. What does work-life balance mean to you? People often misunderstand the concept and over the years have given different meanings and perceptions to the term.
Most women have experienced burnout and are leaving the workforce. This calls for a time to reflect and develop an approach where you are able to give importance to all essential elements that includes health, wealth, love, and happiness. If the first three elements are in order, the last one i.e., happiness comes easy.
Work-life balance is more than taking vacations or attending a weekly Yoga Class. In fact, it is about following a well-rounded and balanced approach as a means to lead, what one can call ‘a good life’.
I often come across women in my coaching journey who have been able to ace their professional life but are struggling to maintain an average personal life and vice versa. While they are at the top of their game in one of their roles, they feel they are losing control over the other. This leads to added stress and anxiety.
This usually happens when one devotes additional hours and efforts to pursue the satisfaction that comes with accomplishing tasks and ticking off the checklist.
I once recall speaking to Sonia (for the sake of anonymity) and she mentioned to me that due to inactivity and lack of proactivity from her team members despite of numerous training and suggestions, she needed to spend additional time at work to be able to meet the projected business goals at her workplace.
Can this be a sign of a true leader? The answer is no. If you ask me, a true leader enrolls their team members and takes responsibility. Sonia sounded like she was complaining and teaching vs enrolling.
Whether you work in an office or from home, here are four effective ways to enhance work-life balance.
Your personal and professional life are always going to intertwine; however, it is very important that you don’t let one take precedence over the other.
Don’t let your time at home feel like an extension of the office. Following a detailed schedule is liberating, it may sound intensive but it actually helps you focus on tasks at hand and avoid lags, procrastination resulting in prolonged stress.
This helps you ensure work at hand is completed in an efficient and creative manner to meet deadlines at work and not let it come in way of your personal life.
Flexibility plays an important role as you identify how to maintain a good balance. Identifying when to give in a little extra time at work and when to break free from an unhealthy work schedule is essential.
Regularly responding to work emails, or attending calls post office hours have the potential to snowball into a huge imbalance and cause mental stress.
Effective communication is the key skill that all great leaders possess. Listen more than you speak. When people around you feel heard, they appreciate your presence greatly rather than feeling anxious when you are around.
Having too much on your plate, and juggling with personal life issues can cause endless exhaustion. Communicating when you are unable to accept additional tasks or avoiding a family event that feels mentally taxing will save you from emotional tensions.
Emotional intelligence is directly proportional to high job performance. We have all come home dazed after a long day at work and we have all come hazy to work after an exhausting evening.
Physically being somewhere is different from being in the moment. It is difficult to hear someone else’s concern’s when you are not mentally present. Striking balance is all about stabilizing your energy, hence, it’s crucial to not bring your work stress home, and avoid dragging your personal issues to work as that can hinder your performance.
Balancing your professional and personal life can be challenging, but it’s essential. It is not recommended to push aside personal wellbeing for your desire to succeed professionally. Having a balance in both lives helps ace both professional and personal lives at par.
First published here.
Picture Credits: Unsplash
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