Have you ever seen a person walking a tight rope high in the air usually with a balancing beam in his hands? It takes a great deal of concentration, the progress is slow, he can’t afford to lose his balance… it’s a question of life or death.
It sometimes seems as if the modern world has turned us all into people walking on a tight rope high in the air. We have to balance so many things… work, family, friends, health, hobbies, sports, community and religion to name but a few. We can’t afford to lose concentration for one moment, less we will fall and our whole life will be tumbling to the ground with us.
Where do we draw the line?
Sure, life is all about balance, but it’s not supposed to be so hard that you cannot take a breather sometimes, or just relax a bit and enjoy the moment. If you have too many balls in the air, maybe it’s time to catch them one by one and then put the whole lot down for a while. Re-evaluate your life and start living it again.
10 Tips for better balance
- Technology has made communication so much easier, but it has made our lives so much harder. Long gone are the days when you can leave your work at work and relax after work. Why? Because you can still receive messages and emails on your phone and you have your phone with you 24/7. Thus, the first tip would be to tell your manager, co-workers, clients etc. what your time limits regarding after hours telephone calls, messaging and emails are, then stick to it!
- Have a long and hard look at all the things occupying your life at the moment. Examine everything from your work to your community involvement. Does it add value to your life? Does it really make a difference to the world? Does it fit in with the dreams you have for your life? If the answer is no, drop it. Don’t do something just because you feel you have to. If it is not your passion, don’t do it, then it is part of somebody else’s passion.
- Make time for the people you really care about. Don’t wait until you have to take time off to attend a funeral. Visit and call those who you love while you still have the chance. One day you will regret not spending time with loved ones, but you will not regret not working 70-hour work weeks.
- Make time for relaxation every day. If you are feeling relaxed you will be able to sleep better, concentrate better and be more productive at work. Thus, make sure that you have some time every day where you can just relax. Read a book, take a walk, or just sit and do nothing at all for a while, you will benefit from it.
- While we are on relaxation. Be sure to take your leave every year and if at all possible go away to your favourite holiday spot. Some people prefer to take all their leave in one go, but others feel it is more beneficial to take a shorter break every 3 to 4 months. Whatever suits your lifestyle best, do it.
- Never underestimate the value of prayer, deep breathing and meditation. It is good to refocus your thoughts every day. Get rid of all the negative energy and concentrate on the things that you are grateful for. Keep a thank you journal and write all the small things you are grateful for and feel positive about down.
- Don’t hesitate to delegate. You are not a superhuman that has to do everything yourself. If you have too much to do at work, see if you can’t delegate some of your work to others. If you have too much to do at home, make a list of all the chores and divide them equally among the household members.
- Learn to say no. If you can’t take on another project at work or be part of another committee at church, learn to say no. Rather only be part of a few projects where you can really give all your attention, than to try to split your time and energy into a million small fragments.
- Plan. Plan your workload. Plan your schedule at home. Stick to it. If you plan ahead you can schedule all the important things well in advance, from your relaxation time to your off weekends which you want to use to visit that special someone.
- Once a month, declare a no-technology Saturday or Sunday. A day away from cell phones, tablets, TV and social media. Spend the day with your family. Drive out of the city and have a picnic somewhere. Or just relax at home, having real conversations with real people.
