Work-Life Harmony: Simpler Than You Think
In our “always on” culture, work often takes precedence over everything else in our lives. A study conducted by the e-commerce company Groupon shows that 60% of Americans have a hard time maintaining a balance between their work and personal lives. And being overworked can have far reaching ripple effects on our physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Achieving harmony between your work and personal life may feel like a pie in the sky goal, but let’s boil it down. At the most basic level, it’s nothing more than setting boundaries. It’s about creating intention about our attention, and noticing where we spend our time and energy—two precious, limited resources.
Our human default is autopilot, which is the opposite of being intentional, mindful, or thoughtful. If you’re longing for greater balance, start by asking yourself:
Where is my attention?
What do I actually do all day long? Pay particular attention to your autopilot behaviors and the balance in your intake of things like media, work, self-care, family time, shopping, eating, drinking, exercise, reading, etc
What am I saying YES to?
By saying YES to that, what does that mean I’m saying NO too?
What does overworking prevent me from doing in my personal life?
Am I living as who I want to be?
You can then work towards greater harmony in your life by establishing a regular journaling practice. Journaling can be a powerful tool to cultivate greater self-awareness and expand your perspective. You can write to process thoughts & emotions, reflect, and plan, or you can use prompts to focus on a specific issue you’re wrestling with. In this case, here are a few great prompts to help you get better at setting boundaries:
What do you struggle with saying no to? What might happen if you do say no?
How do you feel when someone communicates their boundaries to you?
What are the boundaries you sense you need but haven't yet been able to communicate?
What part of your life needs more space? What’s one action you can take to create that space?
What feels heavy in your life right now?
What makes you feel alive? What makes you feel at peace?
What’s something you wish you did more consistently? What is getting in the way of you doing it?
What’s something you wish you did less consistently? What boundaries can you create to stop yourself from doing it?
Describe a future version of yourself that is happy and aligned. What's going on in your life now that's an obstacle to that version of you?
In what ways might you be sabotaging yourself?
In what ways do you allow perfectionism to rob the joy and grace you could be extending to yourself?
What’s holding you back from becoming the truest expression of YOU? What’s one small step you can take to move towards that version of you?
What thoughts, behaviors, or relationships in your life haven’t been serving you?
What can you let go of?
What resources do you need to move forward?
You can spend some time journaling on each of these prompts, or perhaps just pick a few that most resonate with you. Sometimes, even just the prompts we’re drawn to can offer insight into what we’re most struggling with. Either way, I hope you’re able to move towards greater balance and setting healthy boundaries in your life.
And if you’d like some support, consider this your invitation to say “YES” to our Summer Refresh & Recharge Retreat next month in Michigan. This bite-sized weekend getaway will be a great opportunity to explore accessible practices that will help you investigate the stressors in your life, embrace insights, and unlock a new way of being. I hope to see you there! ;)
Mindfully yours,
Ashley