Finding Your Work-Life Balance

It’s very important to find your own balance. Everyone is different. There’s no magic formula that will make you happy. I wish I could tell you that 2 tablespoons of peace and quiet + a pinch of laughter + 1/2 cup of friends and family = a balanced life.

While that recipe was meant to be a joke, in reality that’s the best way I could describe my own work-life balance! Take a moment to think about what’s important to you and test your own recipe!

I can’t tell you that decluttering your desk will declutter your mind. You might not work at a desk. You might work at home as a mom with two kids and not have a desk.

That’s one of the hardest places to find balance because your job is life and it never stops! (A round of applause for you moms!) This is just an example, but work-life balance is something you’re struggling with, then please continue reading.

How Do You Fill Your Jelly Bean Jar?

I was talking to a friend of mine about the difference between introverts and extroverts. It’s a crazy thought how differently people handle social situations and how it affects them. Generally, introverts need time to themselves to recharge after social situations. Extroverts on the other hand, are fueled by people and social events.

Her family refers to this as their personal jelly bean jar. Instead of saying, “I’ve had enough of people”, they say my jelly bean jar is empty. I LOVE this term to help others (particularly extroverts) understand and visualize the concept.

Personally, I need time to come home after work and be alone. I will be drained and depleted even on a regular, low-stress day. Socializing in any form with more than 2 people makes me tired.

Honestly, it’s not the end of the world if I don’t get the chance to do this. But if I don’t take time to recharge eventually, I know I’m not my happiest. It will build and build until I’m stressed for no particular reason. And that’s not a good work-life balance for me!

That’s Social Suicide! (Social Media That Is…)

If you got my reference – let’s be friends. You can sit with me.

We are so caught up in social media (myself included). This will be our downfall! We thrive off the positive self validation we receive when someone likes our perfectly filtered picture. Let’s all take a step back and realize that this is a superficial way to fill our jelly bean jar.

Real talk.

I’ll never understand how people can go to concerts and spend the whole time recording it. You missed out on enjoying the whole experience! Now you have to relive it through your video. Guess what…You could have saved yourself some money by doing that in the first place!

BE PRESENT IN THE MOMENT. Make memories with people. You won’t need to share it with them if they’re experiencing it with you!

In addition to this, we waste so much time curating the perfect post, picture, snap, or whatever it may be. Think ahead to a time when you might be telling someone about your life. Do you want to tell them you spent all that time on a social network? You only get one life.

Live.

Don’t Over-Complicate the Balance

As I said before, there’s no perfect recipe for everyone. This also means don’t try to perfect your own work-life balance! I promise you, it’s going to change. You have to be able to adapt – be it week by week, or as you grow as a person.

Your “quiet time” might mean exercising in the gym with headphones in and music blasting. It might mean reading a book. Maybe you want to meditate. See my post 14 Steps to Self Care + a Happier You for more ideas on how to take time for yourself.

Start small and build from there. Do not let yourself be overwhelmed by the process. You might not even need to make a process! If you’re happy with what you’re doing and don’t feel overwhelmed, don’t change it. Only change to improve; never change to copy someone else.