Keeping a sane work-life balance isn’t easy, but it is essential.  Work is not an option for many women.  And, let’s face it, many of us love our jobs and want to advance professionally.  However, it seems that our physical, emotional, and mental health often appear at the bottom of our long to-do lists.  And it’s not that we intentionally put it there, but it easy to let taking care of ourselves slip.

Now, let’s be honest; staying healthy isn’t easy, especially with a career and a family.  It takes time, commitment, and consistency to make ourselves a priority without feeling guilty.  This is especially true for women who work outside the home. We seem to take care of everyone and everything but ignore our own health.

So, let’s talk about the importance of work-life balance and deciding on the top priorities.

Creating a space to take care of my physical and mental health gives me the fuel to do life.

Delores James

What Is Work-Life Balance?

Our life has many moving parts, and having a work-life balance means that we set priorities for both our personal and professional lives.  I can almost hear you thinking, “Are you saying I have to choose?”  No, it is not about choosing one or the other.  Obviously, there are times or seasons in our lives when our priorities change, and rightly so. 

Why Is Work-Life Balance Important

For career-minded women, it is important to create a harmonious flow between work and life without losing our sanity and the reality of who we are and who we want to become.  Some of the common reasons why some women have difficulties maintaining a healthy work-life balance include: 

• Working from home
• Being a single, working mother
• More responsibilities at work due to a bad economy and poor management
• Working long hours
• Having several jobs
• Starting a business or a side hustle
• Raising children and working fulltime.
• Caring for elderly parents or other family members
• Uneven distribution of housework and chores
• Inability to prioritize well

The Work-Life Balance Dilemma

Women at every level of the corporate ladder struggle with work-life balance. A few years ago, Randi Zuckerberg (sister of Facebook co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg) tweeted, “The entrepreneur’s dilemma: Maintaining relationships. Building a great company. Spending time w/family. Staying fit. Getting sleep.”

Another entrepreneur, Jon Crawford, agreed and added a caveat, “Work, sleep, family, fitness, or friends—pick three.”

Ouch. Pick three?

 

My Work-Life Balance Reality

For my friends and I who don’t have nannies, personal trainers, housekeepers, and personal assistants, we would also add taking care of aging parents, chauffeuring kids to their numerous activities, attending church several hours a week, volunteering in the community, etc., etc., etc.

That’s why we are often feel exhausted, overwhelmed, angry, and empty.

We’re always in motion. We’re always hustling. We have no time to rest. We have no time to be still.

When someone asks us how we’re doing, our response is often “Busy.”  And, don’t we wear that busy badge with pride?  Our mothers, grandmothers, and aunties hustled to take care of the family.   Some worked two or three jobs and then went home to work their main jobs—raising happy, productive, respectful kids. 

We were raised by “women hustlers,” and I say that with pride.

However, our mothers, grandmothers, and aunties also had a lot of health issues.  The obvious ones included:

• Overweight and/or obesity
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Backaches, swollen ankles, and other joint pains

The less obvious ones, and the ones that we did not talk about include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Dysfunctional relationships
• Domestic violence

Work-Life Balance Questionnaires and Surveys

Everyone assesses work-life balance differently, and of course, there are surveys and questionnaires out there that try to measure it.  However, for this post, here are some questions to consider just a few key questions:

On a scale of 1 to 5 (from rarely to almost all of the time), how often do you:

• Is your job a major source of stress in your life?
• Are you satisfied with your current work-life balance?
• How often do you work overtime or stay at the office to finish up things?
• Do you have time to take several breaks to walk, stretch, or clear your head during the workday?
• Do you check emails in the evening and on weekends?
• How often do you work on weekends and vacations?
• Do you do the bulk of the household chores, work, and grocery shopping?
• Have you missed an important event personal or family event because of work?
• Are you able to delegate some tasks to employees or coworkers?
• Do you get 7-8 hours of sleep each night?
• Are you overweight or obese?
• Do you schedule regular time to exercise during the week?

Decide on Your 3 Top Priorities for Work-Life Balance

So, there are several things that come to mind for us to think about when we talk about our top priorities.  Of course, this is not a complete list, and your list may look different.

Family

• Raising healthy, happy children
• Being in a loving, nurturing relationship with a spouse or partner
• Caring for elderly relatives
• Family meals a few days a week and on weekends
• Weekend activities with friends and family

Self-Care (Personal Time)

• Regular medical checkups
• Healthy weight
• Regular exercise
• Enough sleep at night
• Meditation, connection with a Higher Power
• Stress management
• Prevention or management of disease (high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.)
• Manicures, pedicures, facials, massage, etc.

Professional

• Financial freedom
• A job promotion or advancement
• College education or additional training
• Entrepreneurship (owning a business or side hustle)

I will not ask you for your 3 top priorities, but I will tell you that staying healthy (physically, mentally, and emotionally) should be there. 

Sisters, staying healthy is no longer an option. The hustle of daily life is real, and so are early death, obesity, mental breakdowns, and numerous other diseases.

Hustle for your health, Sisters.

Now, It’s Your Turn

Well, I hope that you have a better understanding of the need to rethink your top priorities as you work on achieving a better work-life balance. I think you will enjoy the posts on selecting a guided journal for deeper self-love, steps to better self-care, and quick upper body stretches to do at work.

1. Is staying healthy one of your top three priorities?” If not, “Why not?”
2. How can you make more space in your life to exercise, meditate, and eat healthy foods? What do you need to say “no” to?
3. What activities are you or the kids involved in that can be cut out or reduced so that you can make more time for yourself?

We look forward to hearing about your experience with using a guided journal.  And, you can join the conversation on the Keep It Tight Sisters Facebook Page.

We also have more than 70 self-care boards for you to follow on Pinterest.

Keep It Tight Sisters.

Eat. Move. Breathe