What is work life balance, we hear about it all of the time, but does is really exist? Is it really achievable? Surely not if you are at the top of your game in a high pressured job or when running your own business? This is the kind of thing I hear when coaching my clients, there is a huge amount of guilt felt when you take time out away from your job or your business, a sense that everything will fall apart or that you will miss something important. Does this sound familiar?
I have some exciting news to share, it is OK to have some down time, some you time away from your business, not only that, it is essential. Working all hours day and night for prolonged periods may feel productive at the time, but it is not sustainable and it can lead to a loss in productivity, mistakes, poor performance and worst of all, poor health. When working with small business owners we talk about how they are the most important person in their business, without them the business would not function, their clients would not be looked after and all of that hard work and sacrifice will have been for nothing.
So I want you to think about when you can next take some time out for you? Sound scary? I know, I hear it all of the time from my clients, I will also let you into a secret, I have felt like that in the past too, but I promise you if you can schedule some downtime into your day, you will start to feel and see the benefits. I know I always feel better, more productive, more focused and more energised when I have taken some time out, whether that be to rest, to get out and socialise, or to do some exercise. Yesterday I took some time out to enjoy the sunshine and have a walk on the beach, it was fantastic and it brought me so much, it was an investment in me and I, along with my business, will reap the benefits. My clients also say that when they have taken some time out, they feel invigorated, ready to hit the ground running and they feel happier and less stressed, this allows them to be more focused, efficient and more productive in their business.
On metaphor I love to use is the one of a car, bear with me! If you had a high performance car, would you drive it at a high speed for a prolonged period of time without stopping? If you did that what would happen? I am guessing the performance would suffer, it would run out of fuel and eventually stop, or break down. With a car, we wouldn’t let that happen, at some point you would stop, give the engine a rest, top up the fuel, make sure it was serviced and in good working order for the next trip, we are no different. So if you are willing I am challenging you to take some time out this week, whether it is an hour, half a day, or a whole day, take that time and be really aware of how you feel at the beginning and how you feel afterwards, I would love to hear your stories, post them here or email me. Go and enjoy yourself and take time out to achieve, what I prefer to call #LIFEworkbalance. I have posted a couple of videos on my Facebook page check them out.
Until next time,
Look after you!
Emma
