Natalie Fayman, DVM, ACC, CPC, CPQC
Achieving Work/Life Balance
It’s a demanding and competitive world out there. The idea of having a healthy work/life balance can feel about as realistic as hunting for unicorns.
If you’re a dedicated and conscientious professional, I’m betting you might neglect your own well-being at times. Long hours, high expectations, and emotionally draining stress can lead anyone to burnout. However, with intentional strategies and practical tips, you too can find more balance between your professional and personal life.
The Importance of Work/Life Balance
A balanced work/life dynamic is not a luxury. It’s not something you indulge in “if you have time”. It’s a necessity for sustaining your personal life and your career. It enhances your physical and mental well-being, which increases your job satisfaction and productivity. It allows you to be more focused and more effective in your role, which benefits everyone!
Setting Boundaries
The most important step in achieving work/life balance is setting clear boundaries between work and personal time. Here are some ideas:
Define Your “Hard Stop”: It’s easy to fall prey to all those end-of-day “one more thing’s” and “hey, before you go’s”. Decide at the beginning of the day how much of your personal time you’re willing to sacrifice before you absolutely, positively will leave work. Communicate these boundaries to colleagues and clients, and insist that they respect your time. Barring a true emergency, you may need to remind yourself that your family (and you) deserve some of your time too.
Limit After-Hours Communication: Avoid checking work emails or messages after hours. Set up an auto-response to manage expectations and assure clients that you will respond during business hours. We teach people what to expect from us. If you’re in the habit of responding to messages quickly, that’s what people will come to expect from you.
Create a Dedicated Workspace: If you work from home, designate a specific area for work. Then, when it’s time to stop working, leave that space! This physical separation helps signal to your brain when it’s time to work and when it’s time to relax.
Time Management Techniques
Effective time management is essential for balancing the demands of work with personal life. Here are some ideas to help:
Prioritize Tasks: Use a system like the Eisenhower Matrix (https://slab.com/blog/eisenhower-matrix/) to prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. Focus on high-priority tasks first and delegate or postpone less critical ones.
Schedule Breaks: Incorporate regular breaks into your daily schedule. Short breaks actually help your brain perform better and improve your ability to focus, making you more efficient than if you tried to plow through the day without stopping.
Use Technology: Use scheduling apps and tools to organize appointments, reminders, and other tasks efficiently. Automation can save time and reduce the mental load of remembering every detail.
Prioritize Personal Well-Being
To maintain a healthy work/life balance, you must prioritize your own well-being. Think about:
Exercise Regularly: Physical activity is a powerful stress reliever. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, but even 10 minutes of gentle, enjoyable movement will make your brain work better! Find activities you enjoy and will look forward to. If you have to “make yourself” do it, pick something else.
Don’t Short Your Sleep: Sacrificing sleep has become the most common way that most of us “make time” for other things. But it’s a terrible idea. From brain-fog and weight gain to immune-suppression and shorter life span… depriving yourself of sleep only deprives you of your quality of life.
Have Hobbies: Hobbies bring joy and relaxation. Whether it’s painting, gardening, or reading, make time for activities that nourish your soul. If work is the only thing in your world, then your world is one-dimensional.
Practice Mindfulness: Techniques like meditation, breath-work, and yoga can reduce stress and improve mental clarity. Even a few minutes each day makes a significant difference. It also builds neural pathways that carry you into that relaxed state faster and more effectively, the more you practice.
Recruit Support: Don’t underestimate the impact of community. You’re much more likely to honor your personal commitments if you have someone waiting for you. Surround yourself with family, friends, and activity-buddies who will ask questions if you don’t show up.
Ask For Help: If you’re feeling lost, overwhelmed, or stuck, it’s time to ask for help. Seek out a coach, counsellor, or a trusted friend you can talk to without fear of judgment. If you take pride in helping others, then don’t deny others the joy of helping you. Accepting generosity is a gift, as much as giving it.
Achieving a work/life balance is an ongoing journey that requires focused effort and commitment. By setting boundaries, managing your time effectively, and prioritizing your personal well-being, you can create a more fulfilling life.
Remember, taking care of yourself also benefits the people who depend on you, both at work and at home. 🌟
I’m here to help! Let’s identify some doable changes to lower your stress. Schedule a free strategy session with me today, and feel the difference tomorrow!
Why do clients expect us to be available 24/7, bend the rules for their convenience, and drop everything when they call us... all for practically nothing? Well, because we keep doing it. Be careful what you say yes to. It could become a life-sentence.
Natalie Fayman is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach (CPQM), whose work focuses on stress & burnout in veterinary professionals, and building workplace cultures that attract and retain the right people.
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