3 Simple Steps to Balancing Work & Family Life
by DeAnne Joy

Let’s face it.  Life is stressful.  With so many demands, how do we stay balanced?

The first thing you can do to reclaim your life is to give yourself a break and assume that you are doing the best you know how to do with what you have to work with.  Take a look at the expectations you have of yourself and ask yourself (and be honest!) if they are realistic.  Would you expect of anyone else the things you expect of yourself?  Would you say to anyone else the things you say to yourself in your own mind?  If the answer is “No.  Absolutely not.” then it is time to change the way you treat yourself.  Start balancing work, family and personal life by shifting the expectations you have of yourself.  Be fair.  If you set expectations that are unrealistic, you are only setting yourself up for failure.  Be realistic and chunk down your responsibilities into tangible, bite-size chunks.  Create a track record of success for yourself. 

Second, find one thing in your life that brings you joy and take time regularly to do that thing.  If it’s reading, meditating, gardening, belly-dancing, painting, bowling, hiking or underwater basket-weaving, take the time to do that thing for at least 30 minutes 3-4 times each week.  Ask yourself, “What’s In It For Me if I take the time to balance myself daily?”  Once you start looking at all of the benefits for you (you are more emotionally balanced, less stressed, your family enjoys being around you more, you deal with life better, you feel more JOY), you will find yourself naturally drawn to wanting to take the time to do the thing that gives you joy. 

Finally, take time to end one segment of your day before transitioning into the next.  Before you walk into work from dropping the kids off at school in the morning and before you walk in the door to your home after work at night, take a minute to close your eyes, take two deep breaths, and imagine closing the door to one segment of your day and opening the door to the new segment.  This allows you to start each part of your day fresh and new.   

Three simple steps to creating a balanced life…give yourself a break, find JOY in what you do, and BREATHE! 

DeAnne Joy is the co-owner of Success Tracks Academic and  Success Coaching.  She is also the co-creator of Power Learning and Success Strategies, a progressive approach to accelerated learning and change.  Success Tracks offers coaching, workshops and seminars for students, adults and teams.  For more information, visit www.successtracksscv.com or call 310-7981.