Written by: Neela Pirwitz, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Creating more balance in our lives can be difficult – between work, family, and other responsibilities there can be little time for our wants. Yet, understanding the current situation, and how to prioritize and set boundaries is essential for creating a more balanced life, in which we can show up better for those around us and especially ourselves.
Creating balance in life can seem like the most difficult of tasks. While some people seem to get everything done effortlessly, fitting all of our responsibilities and wants into 24h is a daily struggle for most of us. It is almost as if a few lucky people were awarded a couple of extra hours a day. Or at the very least have some form of superpowers, allowing them to not only complete the tasks they have to complete but also pursue the activities that they want to pursue.
Let me assure you – neither one is the case. This is great news because it means that we can all get better at creating balance.
Like everything else in life, creating balance is a process. It needs to be practiced every day, so we can get better at it. Balance is also a state and not a goal. By that, I mean that what might feel balanced to us today, might not feel balanced next week. And what felt balanced in the past might not feel balanced right now. Our feeling of balance will change depending on where we are in life and the circumstances we are subjected to. We need to constantly pivot to keep balance and can never stand still – almost like when walking a tightrope. Therefore we will never achieve balance. We constantly need to create it. Here are five easy steps which can help you to create more balance in your life:
1. Understand where you are now and where you want to be
The first step in creating more balance in our life is to understand where you are right now, and where you want to be. To understand where you are now, take some time to write down how you are currently spending your (average) day. ¹
Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself:
How much of my time am I spending on work?
How much of my time am I spending on chores / other responsibilities?
How much of my time am I spending on meeting someone else’s needs (e.g., spouse, kids, parents, friends)?
How much of my time am I spending on myself (e.g., hobbies, learning something new)?
How much time am I spending by myself (e.g., self-care, journaling, meditating)?
Once you answered these questions, ask yourself: Am I happy with how I am spending my time? What would I need to shift to feel more balance in my life?
2. Know your priorities
Secondly, you will need to define your priorities. Naturally, we all have responsibilities in life, that are non-negotiable. To create more balance, it can be helpful to pick one or two things that are non-negotiable wants. ² These wants will help you feel more at peace and allow you to take time out of your day to do something important to you. From meditating every morning to taking yourself out for coffee once a week – nothing is too small. Be creative.
3. Set boundaries for balanced life
Now you may say, “This all sounds great, but I just don’t have the time. I have people who depend on me”. I get it. Putting yourself first every once in a while can be hard. But, you can’t pour from an empty cup. If you don’t do anything to make yourself feel more balanced, then who will? And how will you keep living up to your responsibilities and taking care of others if you don’t take care of yourself?
Setting boundaries can be difficult, so start small. What can you delegate to someone else this week to carve out a little extra time to do something that you really want to do?
4. Take care of your health
This one might seem obvious – but if you want to feel balanced you need to take care of your mental and physical health equally. Eating healthy, exercising regularly, meditating and journaling are all great ways to do this. Fuelling your body with nutrients it can convert into energy and giving your mind and body an outlet for stress can make you feel more balanced with relatively little effort and in a consistent way.
5. Implement change
Last but not least, we need to implement the changes we are planning on making. How often does it happen that we make amazing plans of how we are going to turn our whole life around Sunday night and conveniently forget about them by Monday morning?
That’s why it is important to make small changes consistently, rather than big changes all at once. It will be more beneficial for you to change one small thing at a time and build a habit slowly than to change everything at once. Even though this might seem tempting, it is much more sustainable to build balance slowly. Just like when walking a tightrope, small and conscious steps will get you to the other side, big and hasty ones will make you fall off.
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Neela Pirwitz, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Neela Pirwitz, is a Jay Shetty certified burnout-prevention and well-being coach. She studied psychology and is now working for an international organization. Based in the Netherlands and coaching globally, she is working with professionals who want to become more efficient in how they work, create a better work-life balance, or restructure their routines and habits to prevent burnout. Neela’s mission is to help her clients to fit their work into their life, rather than life into their work.
References:
[1] Pirwitz, N. (2023). Preventing burnout by attaining a healthy work and personal life balance. In J. Swart & C. Guirguis, The coach's casebook: Skills, tools and techniques for effective coaching (pp. 258-270). London: Kogan Page.
[2] Pirwitz, N. (2023). Preventing burnout by attaining a healthy work and personal life balance. In J. Swart & C. Guirguis, The coach's casebook: Skills, tools and techniques for effective coaching (pp. 258-270). London: Kogan Page.
