Taking Care of Yourself & Work Life Balance

We’ve all been there: work is busy; you have to take care of too many other things; you’ll worry about taking care of yourself later. It’s a common theme and easy to get yourself into that mindset. Afterall, you have to prioritize. Sometimes that prioritizing means putting everything else above the thing you most need to do though: taking care of yourself. Work-Life Balance is a tricky thing. It’s easy to be too focused on work and forget that there’s so much more to life. That’s why that’s the focus of this blog.

Autumn approaches. That means the kids are back at school. Even though the weather might not be changing for us here in sunny Palm Beach, the routine of life sets in. But just because you might have to take the kids from school to music practice or karate, doesn’t mean work stops. With everything being so busy, and work being so demanding, you might find it rather difficult to focus on taking care of yourself. If you’re too busy to think, always going from one thing to the next, rarely finding time to relax, breathe, and stop to smell the proverbial roses, then you’re not alone! Here are three top tips on creating a better work-life balance:

1. It’s really is important for you to set boundaries with work so that you can enjoy you family and loved ones. Humans weren’t built to spend all day and all night working. We’re on this Earth for so much more. We aren’t blessed with amazing families and children just to miss watching them grow and learn. Set a clock. Don’t bring work home. Be strong about those boundaries. When your colleagues ask you to stay late to help finish up a project, say no. Be firm with it. You and your family will benefit immensely from it.
2. Take time off to spend time with you family. Recently, we blogged about this very topic of leisure time. If you’re single and don’t have a family yet, take time away from work to do activities you’ve always wanted to do. Lake Okeechobee isn’t far; take a canoe ride or go camping. Give yourself and your family time to explore this amazing world by leaving work behind. You only live once, so don’t waste the best years of your life at work. Get out there and be courageous and adventurous.
3. Find something you enjoy doing each day and take a 15-minute break from work to do it. Maybe that means you catch up with old friends in a group chat or maybe it’s simply crocheting, but whatever that is, take the time to do it! I like to read during my moments of calm. Sometimes it’s a science essay and other times it’s a Psalm, but whatever I do read, it isn’t work. It gives me a chance to pause and reflect. Having those 15 minutes can do you wonders!

These are just some ways that you can kickstart your own journey towards a better work-life balance. The important thing is that you start to take care of yourself. If you feel like this is something you often struggle with and need help with it, we are here for you. Our counsellors are experienced in helping you work through your troubles, no matter the problem. Feel free to read about them and, when you’re ready, reach out to us to schedule a consultation. We’re always happy to help.