Work Life Balance or Work Life Harmony

‘Work life Balance’ is a common term used by many. I often use the terminology as well when referring to the multiple priorities I have at work, coupled with the responsibilities I have to take on in my personal life. But when I near a state of burnout I often ask myself, ‘is it actual possible to have work life balance?’

The past few years have been challenging for many. You may have had to cope with juggling full-time childcare of toddlers or school aged children, while trying to balance your career. Or you may have been the primary caregiver of an aging or ill parent. Or you may have taken on more responsibilities at work while also trying to provide space and time to your partner. All these scenarios are complex and there is likely not enough time in the day to balance them all. I have started to think about work and life in harmony. This can be made possible by first determining what your core values are. These values should then be used as your key principles when trying to make tradeoffs and decisions throughout your day. Some of your values may include: Family, friends, autonomy, authority, authenticity, creativity, resilience, security, courage or growth. Their are lots to choose from so get to know your top 5 as they will help you better understand yourself and what brings you harmony.

Here are 5 key approaches that you can take to help bring harmony to your day.

1. Set boundaries. You may not get all your tasks completed in one shot. Tomorrow is another day. Set time blocks that helps you determine when its time to step away from one task and when to start another. It is also good practice to speak to a trusted friend or colleague who can serve as an accountability coach.
2. Write everything in a calendar or a tracker to plan your day. This will help you stay on track and on target to complete your goals within the allocated timeframe.
3. Talk to a work colleague or friend who has your best interest at heart. Speaking with your colleagues about your challenges or concerns can be cathartic, as it helps you narrow on the key elements that are out of balance. Your colleagues are also in a unique position to provide guidance as they will likely have similar work challenges and are well positioned to understand and give the best feedback.
4. Start journaling. It helps you to get all the complex thoughts and noise out of your head and onto a page. Their are different ways to journal so choose one that works for you. You can choose to write descriptive observations of things that you see, taste, hear, smell or you can simply write about your thoughts and feeling. If you are the creative type you can also draw, paint or sculpt.
5. Take a mental health break. Truly take some time to step away and breath. This is harder for some individuals than others. For instance, within the Black culture ‘hard work’ and ‘hustle’ is oftentimes worn as a badge of honor which can lead to burn out and significant stress. If you have this similar mindset it’s ok to take a moment to reset. Even if its 15 min throughout the day take some time to breath and relish in gratitude. What are you proud of today? What makes you remarkable today? Answering these questions can help ground you in the moment to celebrate your wins along the way.

If there are other approaches that you take to achieve work life balance or harmony. Comment below to help others on their unique journey.