3 tips to help Work-Life Balance

According to a recent article in “The Atlantic”, the USA ranks 23^rd in Work-Life Balance.  This was somewhat surprising to me until I read that the top 10 countries were all in Europe.  Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands were 1,2 & 3. In an economy that is challenging to say the least, we need to work on ways that we can be more productive yet maintain some sort of work-life balance. "A lot of people are having a more difficult time finding balance in their lives because there have been cutbacks or layoffs where they work. They're afraid it may happen to them, so they're putting in more hours," says psychologist Robert Brooks, PhD, co-author of The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life.

Here are some ideas that may help bring more of a semblance of balance into your life:

• Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg married his long-term sweetheart this past weekend.  In their arrangement, Priscilla demands “100 minutes of alone time each week and one date each week”.  The need to schedule time with your family and friends is critical so that you can stay energized.  All work and no play  will eventually cause burnout.  Build time for your spouse, children, church and other activities beyond work!

• If household chores are not up your alley ~ delegate to outside sources.  I personally enjoy mowing the yard.  It is peaceful to me.  If you don’t like it, hire an outside person and it will free you up for other tasks that you may like.  I have tried so many times to be a “repairman” fixing things around the house.  One thing that I am finally realizing is that I am “all thumbs”.  It costs me much more in the long run trying to do these jobs by myself.  Learn to understand what you can do and can’t do.  The extra time can be devoted to fun things with your family and friends!

• Build time into being physically fit.  Either first thing in the morning to get those endorphins going, during lunch or after work, plan your schedule to include at least 30 minutes of cardio each day.  It will help keep you fit both physically and mentally.  This “alone” time helps to clear your brain and boost your energy levels.

Our hard work enables us to have many luxuries but it also can cause serious problems in health and social gatherings.  If you have any additional comments on balancing work-life, please share!  Have a great day!