How to Balance Your Work Life with Your Personal Life - International Coaching Federation
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How to Balance Your Work Life with Your Personal Life

Posted by Malgosia Chabrowska (Netherlands) | December 16, 2014 | Comments (4)

It seems everyone is having a hard time balancing their work life with their personal life nowadays. I have seen corporations where they act almost like sects. Employees have an idea that they belong to one big family and they give it all to it. It is very toxic relationship.

Smart managers should know if the employee doesn’t have a healthy work-life balance, then sooner or later he will have worse and worse results. On the other hand employees, are responsible for their own life balance, not the company they work for. You decide what the priority in your own life is.

Between layoffs, failing companies, and demanding bosses, everyone seems to be growing more stressed and working longer hours. In the mist of all that uncertainty, it’s important to find a little down time for yourself to keep from snapping or running yourself unto the ground.

Here are just a few things you can try to help balance out your life.

1. Schedule Some Down Time.

We all schedule our work hours and important appointments like doctors’ visits, but do you schedule fun for yourself? Will a night out with your spouse recharge your batteries? What about going to a game with your friends? A night out with the girls? Or maybe you’re the type to hop online and go dungeon diving with your guild. Anything that helps you relax is something you should make time for. A nice bath or a workout can help some folks with stress relief, or maybe you just need a good old nap. By scheduling something you can look forward to, you won’t feel so overwhelmed and depressed when you glance at your schedule. Sure you have work Tuesday, but you’re also going to have fun that evening!

2. Rearrange Your Errands

See if you can arrange your errands so that they take up the least time. Maybe you can drop your dry cleaning off and pay your bills on your way to the grocery. Can you clean your house more quickly or efficiently by turning the television off? What about ordering postage online to avoid a trip to the post office? Maybe you can pay a kid down the street to walk your dog or mow the lawn. By making the most of the time you spend running errands, you may find you have a lot more time to relax. Also, consider exchanging chores with neighbors. Lawn care in exchange for babysitting anyone?

3. Develop healthy patterns.

Try to reduce interference. Usually trying to avoid doing something takes more time than time to do the work itself! Adopt the rule of not postponing any case. Do everything only once. If you come back to a task multiple times, that will not only consume a lot of time but will be tiring and distracting as well.

4.  Exercise

You knew this was coming. It can be hard to work exercise into a busy schedule, but the fact is, exercise reduces stress and heightens feel-good hormones. Many people find they are more alert, have better concentration and are more productive when they sneak regular exercise into their lives, even if it’s just a short walk every day. Besides, you’ll feel healthier and proud of yourself. That’s always a confidence boost!

5. A little relaxation goes a long way.

You don’t have to make dramatic changes to bring balance to your life. Leaving the office a little early one night a week will give you a little extra down time when you really need it. When it comes to adding more fun activities, add them slowly, just one at a time. If you try to pack all of your favorite activities into one week, you may find yourself more stressed than you were before! If you’re having an especially hard day, take 15 minutes to do breathing exercises, take a bath, listen to music, have a snack, or go on a walk. Anything that will help you de-stress and give you a little boost.

Remember, no matter what anyone else says or thinks, only you know how you really feel. This is your life and should take care of it the best you can.

Malgosia Chabrowska (Netherlands)

Malgosia Chabrowska is a transformational coach and owner of Ebridgecoaching. After working many years in different corporations and observing people struggling with confidence, motivation, and changes, he decided to help people strengthen their skills and bring them to the point they would like to be. She brings to her work empathy and a positive attitude for everybody going through changes while challenging habits and helping to find and apply solutions together.

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts featured on this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the International Coach Federation (ICF). The publication of a guest post on the ICF Blog does not equate to an ICF endorsement or guarantee of the products or services provided by the author.

Additionally, for the purpose of full disclosure and as a disclaimer of liability, this content was possibly generated using the assistance of an AI program. Its contents, either in whole or in part, have been reviewed and revised by a human. Nevertheless, the reader/user is responsible for verifying the information presented and should not rely upon this article or post as providing any specific professional advice or counsel. Its contents are provided “as is,” and ICF makes no representations or warranties as to its accuracy or completeness and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law specifically disclaims any and all liability for any damages or injuries resulting from use of or reliance thereupon.

Comments (4)

  1. […] new piece for International Coach Federation might help along the […]

  2. […] A workplace is a place that you visit most of the week and spend a considerable amount of time in. You will not only have to ensure that you are working well, but you will also have to maintain a rapport with people which is friendly and welcoming. This will not only make your work-life easy but will also bring about balance in your personal life. […]

  3. Delores Lyon says:

    Thanks for sharing this advice on creating balance in your life. I agree that it can be hard to find this balance, especially if you are working long hours at a tough job. However, just taking a little bit of time to relax like you mentioned can go a long way. In fact, I’m going to try and spend a little more time each day to just relax and see how much it helps.

  4. […] Sin embargo, las largas jornadas no son sinónimo de productividad, ni una garantía que te ayude a conservar el empleo. Razón por la que debes tener un balance entre el trabajo y tu vida laboral, descubre cómo lograrlo con información de la International Coach Federation. […]

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