I left a few minutes early for my lunch in Old Town, so that I could leisurely walk down to the restaurant and be relaxed upon arrival. Today, I resisted the urge to fit in one more small task before leaving. This small success is the result of a long learning curve, (so many productivity books!) one that has required me to pay attention to my intention to be more present and less rushed in my day-to day life. So instead of feeling anxious on the walk to the restaurant, I noticed my arms swinging at my side, the sunshine on skin, and the mini morning glory growing out of the crack in the pavement. It was a beautiful moment of relaxation and enjoyment in the middle of a workday. As I walked, I thought, “So, this is what work-life balance feels like!” And when I arrived at the restaurant, my friend had found us a table, and our lunch didn’t begin with an apology.
The Inner Battle
We all know the importance of breaks and how they greatly improve productivity. This doesn’t seem to matter. Even when we have full agency over our schedules, our brains often convince us to fit in one more task, or work through lunch, or stay late to finish the project. Problem is, to make a real and lasting change in this area is to swim upstream, culturally. We celebrate this hectic momentum, and it often provides significant rewards – financially, socially, and professionally. It’s great until it isn’t, until we reach burnout or find other areas of our lives out of balance.
Work Culture, Today
Many workers today face immense pressure and limited capacity with time. Ask anyone how they are doing, and you’ll likely hear some sentence that includes the word “busy.” As tasks and obligations build up, it becomes harder to discern what is important and what to focus on. We forget that we can say no, or not right now. And it feels good to be productive and needed – so much so that it becomes part of our identity, sometimes crowding out other essential elements of our existence required for well-being. I’ve spent years in this heightened and relentless state. But a few years ago, there was a wake-up call when I realized that I wasn’t enjoying anything. Every event was something to get through. Tasks all week, chores on the weekend. I was so far away from being able to relax into leisure. I was exhausted, depleted, dissatisfied. My approach to work and life was untenable and I needed to restore some balance.
Increased Quality of Life
It’s not easy, making these changes. It requires a retooling of so much of our internal wiring and external conditions. As always, it begins with increased awareness and continues with a willingness to make small changes. This was how I made the change, bit by bit. So many books and podcasts on time management, productivity, and work-life balance, and testing different ways of operating. Ultimately, it was a recipe of many small adjustments that led me to an increased quality of life – one in which I felt comfortable leaving for lunch a little early, for trusting that the break would bring joy in the moment and increased productivity when back at the office. This is work-life balance. No more apologies.
At the Workbench | 3 Things to Free Up Some Time
If you want to make some changes in how you build your days and weeks, I invite you to try any or all of the following to create a little space in your day and encourage some work-life balance.
One: Contemplate your calendar.
In the morning, before work begins, contemplate your calendar. Not just the usual cursory glance, but an evaluation of what the day holds and to determine if you are being realistic with your time obligations. Will it really only take 30 minutes to finish that task? That call to the dentist – is it on the calendar? It is here when you can edit or change a meeting or build in a few moments for a break, a walk, or even just a breather to process the meeting you just finished.
Two: Do a time study.
This is a small but powerful project you can engage in. Account for each half hour of your time during the week. This often provides a dose of reality about how much time things actually take. Humans are notoriously optimistic in this area, so the worksheet provides clarity. Then, determine what changes to make. Are your calls or meetings consistently running long? Has your commute changed? These things are usually not evident until you track them. Now you have real data that can be used for better…everything.
Three. Say No.
Prepare yourself mentally to decline an invitation or task that you would normally feel obligated to say yes to. Using your own words, you can say things like:
- “No, thank you.”
- “I can’t do this right now, but I appreciate your considering me.
- “I am engaged with these projects / this work right now and don’t have extra bandwidth right now, but if you’d like me to reprioritize, which project can we put on hold for now? (Often a good way to engage with your boss or colleagues.)
Side note: Um – use your critical thinking skills on this one and wield this appropriately. 😊
Getting comfortable doing this takes some time, so be ready for some conflicting inner feelings if you are getting used to this practice. It is hard to say no! Don’t undo your decision unless it truly makes sense.
These three exercises can help you regain clarity and power over that dang calendar. And once we start building some buffers, we open up the chance to feel a little more work-life balance during our busy days. Let me know how it goes!
-Sending love and light!-
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