The concept of balancing one’s professional life and one’s personal life is something we have all heard of. However, where does one fit in all of this? What does one’s personal life mean? Sometimes we confuse our personal life with life at home. To some this might include house chores such as cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids and pets and whatever else might be needed. Although this is part of one’s personal life it does not mean that one would have achieved a work-life balance.
This is because it can leave one with little to no time for oneself. This routine can be problematic as it can lead to burnout and thus it is essential to incorporate self-care into this balance. Additionally, it is essential for one to understand that this is not a balance which one will have daily. However, it does mean that one’s life in general will be more balanced (Sanfilippo, 2023).
Why is it challenging to achieve a work-life balance?
The challenge behind achieving this balance lies in how individuals strive to succeed and hence place a certain degree of importance on their professional life (Sanfilippo, 2023). Additionally, there is also this need to achieve perfection at home where one’s home is constantly clean with everything in place. Although this might be nice and ideal one needs to understand and accept one’s own limitations which might include having children or pets. Once this is achieved one can be more at ease with certain things and allocate time to something else such as playing with children or going out with one’s family.
How to achieve work-life balance
- One of the first recommendations for achieving this balance is to have a job that one loves doing. There is no hiding that one spends a great deal of time at one’s job; thus, one must not be unhappy at work. Working in a toxic environment will automatically change one’s mood and will inhibit one from achieving a happy lifestyle (Sanfilippo, 2023).
- Recognising and prioritising is the next step. Although planning might sound like work it can help one do more. This is because one categorises tasks according to their importance and works on them accordingly. Additionally, one needs to recognise what is realistic and what is not. This enables one to delegate tasks therefore and hire help if needed (Sanfilippo, 2023).
- Vacations are another way which can help one have a work-life balance. As discussed above the said balance is not about daily balance but about having a general balance in one’s life. Thus, vacations allow one to have a break from work and house chores in order to unwind and spend some quality time with one’s loved ones (Sanfilippo, 2023).
It is important to remember that every once in a while, one tends to feel overwhelmed and exhausted. This sign should not be ignored but it should act as a light to indicate that one needs some self-care. Additionally, being realistic when setting goals for self-care can make having this work-life balance more achievable.
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Yasmine Bonnici graduated in Nursing and also completed her Masters in Counselling. She has worked with victims of domestic violence, and clients dealing with suicidal ideations, bereavement, separation and anxieties. She is currently working with Willingness Team as a counsellor seeing clients who would like to explore their own identity and deal with any surfacing issues.