Finding a balance between work and life can be a difficult process for most of us but it is attainable. For example, even if you cannot control the number of hours you put into work, you can control how to cope with stressors so you can enjoy your life. Work - life balance boosts productivity by attaining a higher level of achievement and enjoyment every day, both on and off the job.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, seven days a week, yet some people seem to do so much in one week, while others feel like they have accomplished very little. Improving your quality of life means finding a balance between your work and personal life.

Constructing an effective life-balance strategy helps your health, daily mood, positive outlook, family and workplace relations. The key is to emphasise the “balance” factor. Expending physical or psychological energy too strongly on any one component typically compromises the carefully constructed balance you created.

Achieving work-life balance begins with knowing who you are as a person and what you need in order to be happy. Sometimes this means sitting down with your partner or by yourself and determine what you value most of all, and what you value as a couple. It’s all right to value raising a family and it’s all right to value pursuing a career. You just need to be really clear and sometimes painfully honest about what your highest value is so you can make life-affirming decisions, both big and small, with these values in mind.   

When we have balance in our lives we feel able to fulfil multiple responsibilities without feeling guilty; being able to maintain productivity at work while having enough time to relax with friends and family. We feel that we have a sense of control over our lives, for example keeping up with deadlines or making time to go to the gym, making informed choices rather than forced decisions such as choosing to work overtime rather than having to in order to make ends meet.

Warning signs that your work-life may be out of balance 

• Being constantly tired. This can affect productivity at work and / or relationships at home with your friends and family.   
• Feeling as if you have little time for home life, including missing social activities with friends and family members and limited time to nurture relationships.
• Feeling as if you are running uphill all the time and getting nowhere. Difficulty in finding motivation and enjoyment in your work and life.   
• Having a sense that life seems to be happening to you instead of you feeling that you are managing your life.
• You see more negative than positive in your life.

Achieving your desired work-life balance 

By creating and maintaining a strong life-balance you can improve your personal and professional existence. Like any other habit - good or bad - once established, it will be difficult to break and you won’t want to change this one. The life-balance factor will also help you improve your work performance and further your career. Often people who have balance in their life are generally more fulfilled than those who feel there is something missing in their life.  

How you spend your time depends on: 

• Your values and beliefs – Because your values and beliefs determine your priorities and how you spend your time, it is important that they are aligned with the results you are seeking.  For example, feeling inadequate, not being good enough or needing approval from others may find you doing things to please others and putting your own needs and goals last. You may find that you are always running out of time to do things for yourself.
• The meaning you give to things – You’ve probably noticed how you’re motivated to do the things you really enjoy, how you do those things and how effortlessly you make the time to do them.  By changing the meaning you give to the things you dislike doing, you will change your motivation toward doing those things and making time to do them will be easier.
• Your behaviours and actions – Instead of focusing on all the things you want to do in your day and therefore getting overwhelmed, try to focus on one thing at a time and you will reduce the stress and achieve a faster result.  Spend 10 minutes at the end of each week reviewing your successes over the past week and then plan the week ahead, including when you will make time for your goals and have some time out for you.

This will ensure that you have the balance you desire each week and when you achieve greater balance you will feel even more fulfilled. 

By aligning your values and beliefs with your desired results, changing the meaning you give to activities so that you enjoy the journey of achieving them and planning your desired life balance, you will become a master of your time and find greater fulfilment in your life!