Sometimes it’s easy to pretend to not have lives outside of work, but this is not true nor is it healthy. Everyone needs a good balance between their work life and personal life. Sue Hawkes, CEO of YESS!, a business coaching firm, has three tips for those who want to bring more sanity into their schedules.
- Stop and breathe. A true work/life balance only happens under ideal circumstances. In the real world, even if your schedule is imbalanced, you can still create balance internally. Literally give yourself a few minutes of quiet to just breathe. Hawkes calls it an “emotional equilibrium” that gives busy people the ability to cope better with challenges and get more control of their responses to situations.
- Learn to say no. Never feel guilty about saying no to some things. Prioritize what’s important to you so that you don’t feel overwhelmed and overcommitted all the time. When you are asked to do something, Hawkes suggests making a list of all of the tasks and responsibilities associated with the commitment before you agree. “Finding balance is a matter of saying yes and no to what fulfills you and your life without overcommitting,” she says.
- Don’t be afraid to delegate. “At times, you have to let go and let others take the lead,” Hawkes says. When you’ve overextended your schedule, take a look at what’s ahead and give others in your office the opportunity to take on new projects or responsibilities. “A leader empowers others by giving them space to lead or take a larger role, thus lightening the leader’s load,” she says.
Source: “Work/Life Balance Isn’
t Possible,” November 2017. suehawkes.com.
