However, even those who have a heavy amount of work requirements that cannot be eliminated can maintain a comfortable level of work-life balance—it’s an ongoing endeavor. Being busy with work and life can still include maintaining a balance. When we have too many obligations that require energy, time, and other internal resources, we can approach burnout. But when we live a life geared toward avoiding all such obligations when possible, we risk having a life devoid of meaning and satisfaction. One important key to balancing between maintaining a life of overwhelming activity and a life of not enough meaning and excitement is to balance the amount of time and energy you spend on activities that feel like work with activities that nourish you and feel like play. There are a few different ways to accomplish this. There are, however, times when multitasking can work well, and these are the times to identify and utilize! It’s often helpful to pair two tasks that don’t take a lot of focus, such as listening to an audiobook and cleaning house, or reviewing one’s to-do list and schedule while waiting in line at the store.
Examine your priorities. Are they connected to a core goal? Are they vital to one of the most important aspects of your life?What are your feelings about your commitments: which ones drain your energy and which ones feed it?What would happen if you cancel a given commitment: what’s the cost-benefit analysis? Is it worth the time it takes from other potentially important activities in your life, including exercise, time spent with family and friends, and leisure activities you wish you could enjoy?
When you take a look at your priorities and figure out what is important to you, you can then say “no” to some things, which will allow you to say “yes” to others. Can you offer trades with anyone, where you handle some of their workloads that you enjoy more, and they handle some of yours? Can you hire it out? Are there people who would be willing to pitch in if you asked them? Think about what tasks in your life need doing, and which could be done by someone other than you. Your tolerations, or energy drains, may take the form of difficult people you must deal with (but could avoid, if you tried), messy rooms (which suck up your time when you lose something, but could be cleaned in an afternoon), or many other things that chip away at your available energy. If you have several tolerations in your life, you may want to take a day or two to identify them and eliminate them. Once they’ve been minimized, you’ll have more energy for other things, and more balance in your life. Improving stress management and increasing coping mechanisms can also help. If you have better coping strategies, you feel more balanced and are better able to manage daily hassles. Gratifications are pastimes that utilize our strengths and creativity in just the right way, leaving us fulfilled and making the time fly by. As your stress levels are minimized and your sense of fulfillment is maximized, you’ll be glad you did.
