Business Link

by Jane Stevenson

In today’s fast-paced world, the demands of career and personal life can leave you drained and stressed, without any time for yourself – which makes balancing one’s life all the more important. And balance is not just a 2-sided work/life issue either, but rather a constant juggling of the many areas of our lives.

The vast majority of stress is self-inflicted due to lack of balance and mismanagement of time. Getting that fixed isn’t easy and will take a concerted effort – but it can be done and you will find that you feel better and achieve more. Here are the basics:

Use Your Time Well
Procrastination is something we all do, but for some it’s a chronic disease! We put off doing that work, or going for a jog, while we read the newspaper, put the kettle on again, or head over to Facebook for a bit. It amounts to nothing more than wasting time. Stop stalling, kill the distractions, and get stuck in. A wise man once said “I can tell you how successful a man is, by looking at how he respects his time”.

Round Yourself Out
No, not with chocolate! Being ambitious and goal-orientated is certainly not a bad thing, but being solely concentrated on your workplace, or any one particular aspect of your life, is unhealthy. Look at all aspects of yourself (career, friends, family, health, spiritual, environment, hobbies) and make sure you give attention to each.

Manage your Energy
Don’t expect to be at peak performance all the time. When you are, make the most of it! But if you are having an “off day”, use it to file, or tidy your office, or rest and recharge. Listen to your body, and learn to work with it, rather than against it.

Work it Off!
There’s no getting away from it – exercise is the most effective way to get rid of the “stress chemicals” that otherwise leave you irritable, sleepless, and prone to chronic disease. It’s also a quick mood booster, so what are you waiting for?

And lastly, and very importantly, take time for yourself, to relax. Build time into your schedule for recharging your battery. Schedule it now – no-one else is going to do it for you!