If you’re an overthinker like me, you probably have had these thoughts multiple times… ’why am I doing this?’, ‘what is all this for?’
Yes, we work so hard, make the money, try to provide for everyone, pay the bills, and keep the candle burning by all means. Good. Great! What next?
You are burned out. Exhausted. Every cell in your body needs rest.
You can’t entirely stop working, right? I mean hello, most of us do not inherit anything and we need food…lol
So what’s the solution?
Work-Life Balance… (Doors of heaven open and rays of light are falling on earth right now!)
Okay, sorry about the drama. But yes, that’s true. I know, many people consider it a myth and you yourself must have tried it and failed. Trust me, same. But after getting married and after having the responsibility of running the entire house all by myself (Yes, there’s the husband. But you know how men are. And also, I am such a control freak), I realised work-life balance is more important than ever.
Over the span of two years, I think, I have gotten better at this and have figured out certain ways that work well for me which I intend to share here today. Of course, I have a lot to learn yet. So, have added thoughts from my online friends who are like me into multiple things at a time.
Become a Planning Ninja
Sounds basic but apne dil pe hath rakh k bolo that you do it? No, we don’t and thus we suffer!
Plan your daily tasks by maintaining a to-do list. Keep an hour aside on Sundays to note down all the important things ahead in the coming week. Birthdays, meeting friends, work meetings etc. needs to be scheduled. You do not want to have the same going to office coming back home tired situation every day, right? You do not know how productive you will be once you start doing this small thing.
Meal Prep – Every Saturday, I get all the vegetables that I need for the week, cut and sort them day wise so my food for the week is sorted. I try to plan breakfast, lunch and dinner in advance so as to avoid hassles during my working hours. Yes, I fail to do it some days but most of the time, I stick to the plan.
Most of you may feel that it isn’t the best thing to do but with my full-time job, my business writebetter.in and freelance work, I have no option. Home-cooked food is always a healthier choice!
Plan special days with your family and friends – Every month, keep yourself completely free and do something fun with the people you love. Even if is for a few hours of a chit chat session or a movie bight, it is fine. Prioritize it. Some of you may think here that “but my work doesn’t allow me to”. Listen, sorry to be a little bit in your face but…we are all gonna die anyway. I understand, I am a workaholic too but prioritising what’s important is key.
It’s all about systems, my love!
Make routines and systems so that you always know what you have to do. Have a system planned for your mornings, evenings, afternoons – have a set number of tasks fixed. So, your time is utilised perfectly and you get more done in less time.
You will notice that your lame scrolling on Instagram significantly reduces once you know what is the next thing on your list. Read: Atomic Habits to learn more about systems.
Stop chasing perfection; it is okay to be a mess sometimes
Allow yourself to not be perfect sometimes.
This was extremely difficult for me and I am still learning. So, here in India, we have festivals every month and then as a married girl, there are rituals to be followed. In the first year of my marriage, I struggled so much, I just constantly thought I am not good enough, I am not able to do things correctly, I am the big bahu and what am I doing? Not even making puran polis blah blah. God.
Last year, I was like… I will do what’s possible for me, with all good intentions. I am sure God does not like me being all stressed during festivals, I will do what I can and that’s it. That is it! Let people say or think what they want. I was scared of being judged for being incompetent. I have always aced everything, you know! But man, it is tiring…
You create your own boundaries.
No need to cook an elaborate meal when you have a presentation tomorrow. Simple dal chawal is fine.
It is okay if your house isn’t clean. It is okay if you miss laundry for 2 days in a row. It is okay! I promise.
Learn the art of acceptance. Bring out your inner Buddha
You have people to deal with – Bosses, colleagues, your family, in-laws, irritating neighbouring aunties and that pervert uncle who stares at you. I get it.
Learn the art of acceptance. Probably the most difficult things to do of it all. Just take the first step, not for anyone else but for your own mental sanity.
Meditation and Yoga will help. These are free links, you can start here.
Have strict rules about your “me time”
Your me-time is non-negotiable. Period.
Note: Learn to say no, with a smile. Helping is good. And Seva is essential. But you cannot pour from an empty cup. Recharge yourself first so that you can give from a full heart.
Relax your shoulders. Let go off the guilt
Take breaks guilt-free without which one cannot even think of acing work-life balance. It is okay to not attend the house party your family wants you to if you do not have social energy. Don’t feel guilty to have your husband help you with housework or with your child. We feel guilty all the time for not being enough or not doing enough. We blame ourselves all the time for everything bad happening around us because we are conditioned that way. We are good people and we want to do good. Good people can also make time for themselves. It is allowed, you know!
Happy Women’s Day, my love!
If this resonated with you, it would be great to comment below and let me know. Please share your ways of balancing work with fun too! And yes, share with all the gorgeous, gorgeous women because I know they want to hear this too! We all want to ace work-life balance in our lives, let’s start today!
Also read: Easy Ways To Relieve Menstrual Pain | Period Pain
Tags: Work-life balance, Balancing Work and Life, Work-life balance for women.
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