Now more than ever, there is a need to establish the boundaries between work and home. However, in today's society, it isn't always easy. Your business is more likely than not to invade and encroach upon your personal and family time. Achieving a healthy balance is difficult but it's reachable-the the key is to commit yourself to take control and make it work.
Those in the medical community all seem to agree that stress-related illnesses are soaring to record highs. Most attribute such illnesses to our inability to handle stress; specifically, the relentless balancing act between work and home that we're forced to perform practically every day of our lives for the sake of survival.
Interestingly, researchers found no significant differences between the genders when it came to balancing business and their personal lives. Both men and women alike, especially those whose identities rest within the bounds of their careers, were completely unable to find a happy medium between their business commitments and their family life. As a result of this inability, many are suffering the unhappy consequences.
The scales, however, were slightly tipped when it came to female business owners. Today's woman no longer places her worth and value solely in homemaking. While being a homemaker is a noble and fulfilling profession for some women, it's not for every woman. A large percentage of the female population find their true identity rests within the confines of their businesses, and have firmly affixed themselves to the workplace. In fact, in many cases, the business can't function or flourish without them. Therefore, business owners (especially new and small business owners) continually succumb to the demands of their companies. While this may be an admirable practice it can lead to a serious life-imbalance if you're not careful.
Every human being needs downtime; a time of refreshing and rejuvenation... it's the only way to survive in a hectic society. But oftentimes, when you're building and running a business, your life is held hostage by the demands of your company. Sometimes your business workload is such that you're forced to sacrifice your evenings as well as your weekends. This is a perfect recipe for burnout. Even if you love and find true satisfaction in your business venture, sooner or later the excessive demands placed upon you will have a serious adverse effect on your physical and emotional health.
So, what do you do when your business commitment intrudes into your personal life?
The reality is, juggling your business and home life will be an ongoing challenge, but you can manage it through self-discipline.
Here are a few proactive steps you can take in an effort to achieve this balance:
1. Consider a flexible working schedule, and also determine what responsibilities you can manage from home occasionally. Sometimes, being in the comfort of your home helps ease the anxiety of a heavy workload. Your favorite chair or room can make certain tasks much less stressful. If you want to grab a midday snack or work in your pajamas you have the freedom to do so. If possible, listen to some soothing music while you're working, and take multiple short breaks to keep your stress-gauge from rising.
2. Determine what's absolutely necessary and what isn't. If it won't hurt your business to put something off a day or two, by all means, put it off. Never be ashamed or afraid to admit that there are things that you simply cannot do.
3. Resist the urge to try to be everything to everyone. If you're asked to do a favor or take on a project that can easily be done by someone else, let someone else do it. When you're a busy person others tend to bombard you with their needs and requests, because historically, busy people get more things done. But taking on more than you can handle will eventually render you incapable of doing anything as well as it should be done. It's okay to say no when you simply don't have time or energy for extra things.
4. Do your very best to leave work at work. When you're at home, turn off your cell phone if you're likely to receive business-related calls. Put your laptop out of view if you use it for work-this will prevent you from giving in to the temptation to start working when you should be resting. Never bring work files or folders home if it isn't absolutely necessary.
5. Try not to crowd all of your household chores into one day. Do a small load of laundry and run whatever errands you have little by little each day so everything isn't piled up waiting for you on your day off. Your off time should be spent rejuvenating, relaxing and refueling your mind and body.
6. Most importantly, be good to yourself. During stressful times, it's imperative that you eat right, exercise and set aside a little time each day to do something YOU enjoy, even if it's just watching old movies or listening to music, make time for it.
If the bulk of your time is spent working, your personal life and health will take a huge hit and the damage can be difficult, at best, to reverse. Don't spend your entire life missing out on truly living and enjoying all that life has to offer. Safeguard your health and well-being. You'll reap the benefits and so will your business.
