Expert Panelists are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within the areas of Business, Mindset, Leadership, Innovation, Technology and Lifestyle. In Brainz Expert Panel, 10 members of The Brainz Magazine community of experts will share their best tips, advice, ideas, hacks within different topics.
1. Start small – block time for priorities
Let's take a different approach here – focus on balance in life versus work-life balance as work is only one aspect of our lives. We also have health and wellness, spirituality, relationships, finances and more to consider – no wonder why we find it difficult to maintain balance! Start small – block time for priorities. Build in time for yourself – for fun, fitness, personal development and self-care. Block time for work and for family and friends. Sticking to the time blocks, move to the next block knowing that you are exactly where you need to be, doing exactly what you need to be doing and while it may be challenging at first – time blocking (and sticking to it!) will help you to find a bit more balance in your life.
2. Commit to a morning routine to fill up your cup!
I found that it is essential for your balance to have some rituals in the morning to fill up your cup with energy, focus and calm for your day ahead. When you start with a morning routine, doing something for yourself, you hack your happiness chemicals! You produce some dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward! You start on a good note and tend to continue throughout the day!
A morning routine does not have to be long. I am all about the power of small habits. Invest 5 minutes a day, every day at first. It will go a long way!
Here are some easy & simple 5-minute techniques to get started with a morning routine:
(Pre-requisite: Leave your phone away the whole time!)
a. Drink 3 glasses of lukewarm water before eating & drinking anything. Great thing to do while you get ready.
b. Have a cold shower for instant energy and strengthen your immune system.
c. Write down 3 things you are grateful for while having breakfast.
d. Do some squads while the water is boiling for your tea, or your coffee is getting ready.
e. Breathe 5 minutes mindfully before opening your computer.
3. Protect and Be Mindful of Your Energy
Everything is energy. The more you want to accomplish, the more energy is required. For this reason, it will be important for you to be aware of where are you investing your energy. This includes what you do, who you spend time with, your thoughts, your feelings, what you commit to, etc. This means that if someone is not adding more energy into your life, this is a relationship you need to either reduce the amount of time you spend with them or not invest any of your energy. Only say yes to the things that light you up inside. The list goes on of things you can do to protect and be mindful of your energy. Doing all this will ensure that you maintain the balance and sanity that you need in order to get more done while enjoying your life.
4. Learning how to say no without apology
Have deep clarity of what your priorities are and deep honesty about whether or not you are living by them. If you are, how do you do more of what works? If you are not, it is important to understand what is getting in the way. For most people, I find it is a case of overcommitment and opportunity for not only better boundaries, but also learning how to say no without apology in a way that is aligned for the individual so they can say yes fully to the things that matter.
5. Activate Your Subconscious Mind!
Engineer and design your life! 90% of our decisions are made using our unconscious mind. When we actually feel like we are making the decision ourselves that is actually only 10% of the process. Our unconscious mind has already done all the hard work for us!
So, the best way to improve your Work-Life Balance is to get creative! Use your unconscious mind to work for you.
Visualise what you would like your life to look like.
Imagine living your best life with a perfect work-life balance.
How would it be for you to have the ideal work-life balance?
What would it look like?
What would you be doing?
What would you not be doing?
How would it make you feel?
Then close your eyes and fully;
Imagine it...
Visualise it...
Really see it...
Then open your eyes...
And... Now, go for it! Chase your dreams...
6. Mastering our Stress Levels
It's no secret that we all struggle with balancing work and life. However, it is possible to have a thriving career and a fulfilling personal life. The key to enjoying a healthy work-life balance is mastering our stress levels so that it doesn't take over every aspect of our day, and we can stay focused on what truly matters.
7. Rewarding yourself for small goals regularly
Celebrate small wins weekly to achieve big goals. We often tend to focus on the outcome, ignoring any important steps along our way that contributed to our success. Remember those big achievements don’t happen overnight or in a few days, but you need to work constantly towards your vision. Rewarding yourself for small goals regularly will help you acknowledge that you are on the right way and increase your self-esteem.
8. Become a Master of Your Mind
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance begins with becoming a master of your mind. We tend to pay more attention to taking care of our bodies than our minds. In fact, we often take our minds for granted. The result is that we end up living a life where the mind is in control of our lives instead of the other way around.
What we experience as life is basically just a creation of our minds. Even though it may seem that our destiny depends on external circumstances, the truth is that the way we perceive those circumstances determines our experience.
Being a master of your mind allows you to create your own desirable circumstances and to place them into a balance that works for you. Mind mastery can be achieved through daily mindfulness and meditation practice, which requires little more than some time and dedication.
9. Schedule Everything
As busy entrepreneurs, we live and breathe through our calendars. No wonder many entrepreneurs are not keeping a good work-life balance when few entrepreneurs schedule their downtime, relaxation time, time for fun, or time with family. The easiest thing to do is to start putting everything into your schedule, including breaks and self-care. You will be more likely to do it if you see it in your calendar and are getting reminders it's time to relax.
Arliss Dudley-Cash, Business and Self Love Coach
10. Learn to Stop
The hustle is real however sometimes to get ahead you have to stop. Every Sunday is Sephton Sunday meaning it’s a time of rest and time to give myself to those that I deeply care about. Take a look at your schedule and see where you can dedicate yourself to a weekly pause.
