Work-life balance seems like a never-ending race in the fast-paced world we are living in today. I am sure that everyone has experienced a period of imbalance before. Getting back in control is not easy, but it is also not impossible.
This blog post is all about my period of imbalance and how I turned it around. If I can do it, you can too!
Balancing work, family, friends, marriage, finances, travelling, running and blogging proved to be more difficult when I got a promotion in January of this year. I work in the finance industry and my promotion meant working more hours to meet multiple deadlines and expectations. At a point I realized that I was low on energy because I was burning the candle at both ends. As a result of too many tasks and too little hours in a day, I sacrificed my blogging.
Sanity Strides was started because of my passion for running. Blogging allowed me to share my love for running with fellow runners. Over the past few months, I have missed posting on my blog and this made me realize that even though I stopped blogging, there was still an imbalance.
Creating balance is a direct result of making choices, sacrifices, and prioritizing. Do you need that extra hour of sleep? Do you need to watch another episode of your favorite series, or is the better choice to lace up and go for a run or write that blog post?
I found my balance (again) and I want to share some tips to help you find/keep your balance.
Tips for balancing your 24 hours optimally:
1. Plan your week (routine)
Each Sunday, I take a piece of paper and I plan the week ahead. The planning shows birthdays for the week, social events, things I want to do, my running schedule and my blogging. I put the piece of paper on my desk and every evening I tick off the activities for the day. Ticking off my tasks keeps me accountable and rewards me at the same time.
I also meal plan and prep on a Sunday.
2. No compromises on your runs
I am a morning runner. I know if I skip my morning run, I am not going for a run later that day. Some mornings I need to be in the office earlier than other days. For this reason, I plan my short and long runs to fit into my work calendar. This helps me to remain disciplined.
If you are an evening runner, be sure to also plan what time you are running and set an alarm to avoid getting caught in front of the TV and missing your run.
3. Be flexible
It happens to the best of us. We plan a run and then the run does not go according to plan. For example, I had to do a 14km run at 5min20s. The run was completed at 5min40s/km and a disappointed version of myself returned from the run. It took me a while to realize that I was being too hard on myself. I need to move forward and focus on the fact that I completed my run and tomorrow is another day and another opportunity. Focusing only on the negative will keep you from reaching your goals.
4. Don’t feel guilty
Don’t feel guilty about making time for yourself or your running. Running in the morning kickstarts my day. After a morning run, I am filled with a fresh mind and loads of positive energy. Running makes me a better version of myself and therefore: No guilt allowed!
5. Prioritize your time and energy
Balance comes from knowing what is truly important and how we want to spend our time. For example, the night before a long run, I cannot stay out (too) late. I need to sleep and fuel my body for the run. This sometimes means saying no to family and friends or leaving a great party early. The benefit only comes the next day when you wake up feeling refreshed and ready for your run! Be smart about how you spend your time and energy, these resources are not limitless.
