Wednesday April 14, 2021

Find the right balance

If we divide our day into three, we work for at least one-third of our day, ideally, sleep for one-third of the day then the remaining third of our 24-hour day is available to do other stuff, and this is very important. In reality, most of us work more than one-third of our day which eats into our precious downtime and sleep. Not to mention allocation of time for day-to-day household chores.

It is likely we will try to correct the deficit on a non-working day, and try to find time to catch up. Sometimes the choices are not entirely within our control, work commitments, family responsibilities, and unexpected circumstances that require our attention mean our life balance can become out of kilter.

Striking the work, sleep, leisure balance is not only important for our inner balance - equilibrium but also ensures if one aspect of our life is feeling rather difficult then we will have the resources, energy, momentum, and vitality to help us get through. One failing third can easily affect us, create unwanted stress and ultimately unhappiness, so we need to be careful.

An unsatisfactory work environment, sleep deprivation, or a lack of fun and time to relax will have a negative impact.

It has been proven exercise helps sleep and is a stress buster because it releases endorphins that ultimately make us feel better. We know sleep rejuvenates our body and helps us function more efficiently and improves our moods. How you spend your downtime time can affect your quality of work and happiness.

How do you avoid feeling all you do is work and sleep?

You need to ensure you find quality in the time you allocate to the things that make you happy and enable you to truly switch off. Allowing the mind to rest and find harmony in doing simple tasks, even slightly monotonous ones can be very relaxing. Interacting with others is also very important; sharing a moment over a coffee or doing an activity can be very therapeutic. We are naturally social beings and if we deprive ourselves of the company of others or are deprived of it, not through our choice, we can become very inward-looking, depressed, and unhappy. Other people help us measure and take stock of what is real and offer us constructive advice or feedback when we need it.

We know lockdown has had a diverse impact on all our lives and our well-being. It is important that even if we are working from home, we don’t become overworked and we allow ourselves time to completely switch off. 

We must prioritise ourselves and make the time to connect with others, exercise, and find joy in the simple tasks of everyday life.