Personal and Professional Balance

“I’ve learned that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time.” -Oprah

I asked a fellow friend what she wanted me to write about, and she said, “Finding a balance between your professional life and your personal life.” I found the topic interesting because we tend to overwork ourselves so much that we barely have any time for our personal relationships, whether it’s with others or ourselves. The weight we put on our shoulders can be overbearing. I will be going over some of the things we should be aware of when balancing our personal and professional lives.

Nurture Self, The Rest Will Follow

First and foremost, we have to take time out to take care of us personally. In order for us to properly nurture other relationships or work, we have to first nurture self. In business we are taught hustle mentality. While there is nothing wrong with it, even hustlers have to get some kind of sleep or enjoyment in their lives to keep pushing forward. We need mental healing time because not doing so causes ample amount of stress, anxiety, and depression. We can not serve others without taking care of us. You know the old saying, “Even a therapist needs a therapist.” That works the same with anyone. Even a healer needs a healer, or a teacher needs a teacher, or a mentor needs a mentor. Let’s put it this way; we work for others, but we also need others to work for us. Us strong people need help too. You get the idea.

Prioritize

Next, we have to get in the habit of prioritizing. Does that one thing you’re stressing about determine the make or break of your business, or can you take a step back and place it further down your long to-do list? Understanding what’s more important can be beneficial if you take the time out to write it in your journal, calendar, or laptop. Prioritizing can be a way to limit stress.

Stay in Alignment

Finally, balancing both personal and professional lives have to be somewhat equal. One can’t abundantly overpower the other as it will throw off the alignment within ourselves and our business or work. Sometimes we will get off track because it is human nature, but we have to be able to point out when we are out of alignment in order to not get too far gone. I will leave you with a few tips on how you can manage both your personal and professional life.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you have many errands to run, call someone you can depend on to do one thing that can take some of the stress off.

• Set a firm time. After a certain hour, cut off business and make time for personal life. This can be used for self-care or personal relationships. Setting a business time frame can also help towards your creativity. When you work on something for so long, you can lose creative juices, so personal time is necessary to help you engage in things that can re-spark your creative flow.

• Separate the two. When you are in your personal time, avoid talking or thinking about business and vice-versa. Set that boundary with yourself. I know it can be hard, especially as an entrepreneur, but give it a try. Your business can’t provide what you envision if you are running it in constant stress.

• Get in the habit of knowing your emotions. If you feel yourself getting angry or overwhelmed, that is the perfect time to take a step back from work and relieve some stress. Doing this also helps you avoid bringing the stress of work into your personal life.

• Be unapologetic in your personal space. Don’t feel bad for taking time out to take care of your needs. Make taking care of you apart of your daily routine, whether it involves only an hour of quiet time, family time, sleeping, or having fun.

When you find yourself tipping the scale, remember to lean in the direction of balance, as it can be beneficial to your physical and mental health in the long run.