Work/Life Balance -Maintain That Summer Energy
Summer is wrapping up and Fall is upon us. Summer is full of holidays, celebrations, and vacations, while Fall can be perceived as “back to business as usual” or our “busy season.” As Fall approaches, I have been pondering on how that summer energy and zest for life can be maintained even during the busyness of Fall. We can start by creating a balance between work or school and our personal lives.
What is Work/Life Balance?
The phrase “work-life balance” has become popular, but what does it mean? From my perspective, it means achieving balance between the work/school aspects of your life and the personal aspects of your life, so they do not negatively influence each other. For example, if I am working on projects for work until 8 pm and I miss family dinner at 6 pm, then my work is impacting my personal life. As a therapist, I frequently receive questions about how to achieve a balance between work/school and our personal life. Here are a few suggestions for you to consider.
Create a weekly routine
My first suggestion is to create a weekly routine. I know, I know, a routine may sound rudimentary. However, developing structure through a routine can help you organize your time and alleviate the stress of managing the different components of your day-to-day life. Your routine could include how you want to start your mornings, scheduling meals, managing time dedicated to work/school tasks, or how you want to wind down your evening.
Take care of yourself
Secondly, prioritize taking care of yourself. You cannot attend to work, school, or your personal life, to the best of your ability if you are depleted. Caring for yourself encompasses you as a whole, which means making time for meeting your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. Engaging in self-care allows us to replenish all the energy we expend working, studying, interacting in relationships, fulfilling our obligations, and so much more. Build self-care into your weekly routine.
Set boundaries
Third, implement boundaries. Freedom and relief can be experienced when we utilize boundaries. I often hear people say they are hesitant to employ boundaries because they do not want to seem selfish, rigid, or mean. I can understand this concern. However, boundaries are our way of advocating for ourselves and are necessary for applying the suggestions. Although boundaries should be uniquely tailored to support our needs and desires, I want to share a few examples of boundaries as food for thought.
Examples of boundaries:
Saying no to things that do not serve you.
Not bringing work/school home with you or determining a time frame for when you will start & stop working.
No longer carrying weight that was not meant for you.
Identifying aspects of relationships that may not be beneficial to you.
Protecting your routine and self-care practices.
The suggestions mentioned are just a starting point and we will continue to build upon them as we transition into new seasons. We are going into Fall excited and maintaining the vibrant energy of summer! Be on the lookout for more tips to come! If you’d like to contact me or another therapist here at Full Scope Counseling, you’re most welcome to!
Continue to let your radiant light shine brightly.
-Dr. Shar’Dane
