Relationships with others, both at work and in your personal life, are an integral part of whether life will seem manageable and enjoyable. Nurturing and fostering interpersonal relationships take time and energy. People who do not achieve a sense of balance may feel fragmented or overwhelmed.
Work and relationships will suffer if you are not managing to meet your needs and responsibilities, in addition to considering the needs of others at your workplace and in your personal life. Of course you cannot do everything! Ask yourself, “Am I doing things that are the most important to me? Am I spending time with those I love? Am I making time for both work and play?”
Having balance in your life will be easier if you:
- Know your values
- Identify priorities
- Reduce unnecessary things
- Set some goals and make a plan
- Revisit priorities and goals occasionally
A value is important to the person who holds it. What changes with time and growth is the ranking of values in relation to other values. Values are expressed:
- Through talk and action; how we use our time and energy
- Through actions at work and play (leisure)
- Through choices in the market place
Priorities are activities and relationships that receive first attention because you have ranked them as highly important. When setting priorities, ask yourself:
- Is this important? To whom? Is this urgent? To whom? Is this necessary at all?
Unnecessary things in your life include some stressors, unresolved conflicts, bad habits, poor planning skills, and unrealistic expectations. For example, do you have unnecessary conflict with a co-worker or have unrealistic expectations by striving for perfection?
Finding balance with your work and personal life, including play, can be accomplished.
- Select goals and dreams that support values.
- Do things that will bring you closer to your goals.
- Take action to do things out of your comfort zone. Be willing to take some risks.
- Respond to challenges and disappointments positively. “What can I learn from this?”
- Share your needs with others and seek their support. Be willing to ask for help.
Getting a handle on the stress in your life will help you make time for work and play and feel good about your general well-being.
- Locate the sources of stress.
- Physically work off the effects of stress.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Talk with someone you trust about your concerns or problems.
- Accept what you cannot change.
- Organize what you can, without being a perfectionist and unduly hard on others.
- Realize that you do not control the emotions or behaviour of others; you influence others.
- Avoid self-medication and the misuse of alcohol and drugs.
- Make time for recreation and for having fun.
- Do something for others.
- Take one thing at a time.
- Compromise. You don’t always have to have it done your way. Agree to disagree.
- Get away from it for a while (this can be done on a tight budget with limited time).
Ask yourself these questions.
- What things cause me stress (my stressors)? How might I reduce my stress load?
- What are the most personal things (work, activities, relationships) to me?
- Is my personal life in balance? Do I feel good about my personal life?
- Is my work life in balance? Do I feel good about my work life?
- Am I spending time doing things (work, activities, relationships) most important to me?