Truth is, there’s a lot of stuff out there in the world that we take no notice of. I can go days and nights on advising you about work-life balance, but who’s interested in advice? I’m not. Instead we just want to know how to juggle both. Especially in the space of the past two years, this ‘balance’ has seen drastic changes. As a newbie in this culture, I have been able to stay motivated and balanced at the same time despite facing regular hurdles. How? I listened. To whom? Myself.
Listen to your body
The one that truly knows you, is you. The thing about work that I quickly learned from just a year of experience is that when things get rough, all you need is a break. The company I work for treated us to a casual lunch on board the Christmas party cruises on Sydney Harbour. This was a much-needed getaway for everyone and the beauty of it was that the company realised it too. The key to staying motivated is to not become a work-sleep-repeat person or for short, a machine. If you ever feel like taking a break from your computer screens, get up and do it. Don’t wait.
Combine work with family
Ah the ol’ family trick. To fill up this part of the blog I seeked out an opinion from my senior, Lisa. She once said that rather than seeing them as two, why not combine both work and personal life? And then it hit me! There was no need to divide work and play, it’s all about living! For example, she combined them by helping her nephews do their homework and later inviting them to take part in her work. “Talking about work with them” she said, “is the absolute hack to spending quality time with family and help see your problems in a fresh perspective”. She further insisted that some of her best works shape up from conversations with her family!
Do that push-up
What’s on top of your priority list? If it’s anything other than yourself, you are doing it wrong. When family and work colleagues depend on you, failure is never an option. But then again, you can’t ignore ‘your’ side, taking care of yourself has to be number one on the priority list, no compromise. What I learned from my co-workers is that the area that is often overlooked is working out. As a legend once said, ‘Physical health is mandatory for financial well being’. It is a vital aspect of your life and it is never too late for anyone! Not just looking healthy, the exercises are actually meant for the brain too. It boosts your serotonin, improves your mood, vitality, alertness and of course, well-being. In short, it puts you in a better mood.
The art of switching things up
Switching it up is key for humans, even in general, but we’ll talk about that another time. I have implemented many ways to enjoy change - every few hours I try to listen to music, walk around and stretch out. I also try to stick to a schedule so anytime before nine and after five, I don’t check my emails. (They won’t disappear!). Changing the setting helps. Sure, working with less commute is good but it gets mundane after a while. I sometimes work by the lake or on the roof of my office. Another fun thing I do is print some of my favourite photos and have it by the desk, it’s a bit of a stress reliever when I have a hard day. The yearly Sydney Harbour cruise Christmas party also helps! These are some of the things you need to hold as sacrosanct in order to achieve the ideal work-life balance.
