Work-life balance is a common phrase I hear in coaching, but this is not a helpful way to look at balance. Work is part of your life, not something separate from it, and there are far more things to keep in balance than just your private life and work life. We need a balanced diet to be healthy. If we are angry, stressed, and frustrated most of the time we need more emotional balance. If we spend too much time sitting we need to be more active. If we put a lot of physical strain on our body we need time to rest. The complexity of life requires us to find balance or we will experience the consequences sooner or later.
A good place to start is by defining what I mean by balance. For me, balance means attending to our physical, mental and emotional needs in a way that allows for optimal well-being. Whether you are concerned with high performance, good mental health, or improved longevity, achieving this kind of balance is the key to these and many other aspects of a happy and successful life. Conversely, a life lived out of balance can lead to health problems, burnout, and failed relationships.
In my systemic approach to coaching, I look at situations in a holistic way even when clients come to me with specific issues or challenges. This helps us discern whether the problem they describe is a symptom or the root cause and to recognise all the contributing factors. To help with this I use tools to measure the level of satisfaction in a variety of areas in a client's life from career and finance to relationships and health. This process helps a client to recognise if something is out of balance in their life.
When people struggle at work, in their relationships, or with their mental health looking at life balance is a great place to start. To do a balance check the easiest way to start is to look at the three main areas I already mentioned. How are you doing physically? Are you eating well, getting some exercise and sleeping enough? How are you doing mentally? Do you have health activities that reduce stress and allow for mental downtime? How are you emotionally? Do you have at least one meaningful relationship in your life; someone who can support you emotionally when needed? If not find a support group.
Bringing your life into balance helps life flow more easily and allows you to become more resilient. When you recognise your life is out of balance don’t delay correcting the situation. People are not the same after a burnout and you don’t want to have a heart attack before you recognise that something in your life is out of balance. Take steps toward some kind of balance check for yourself today like doing a wheel of life exercise with a coach. To live a truly successful and happy life requires balance.
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