9 Ways to Balance Your Work Time and Your Life Time

We were playing a game, "What I like best." I was trying to guess my son's favorite activity. After a few guesses, I got it correct and asked him, "Now, what is my favorite activity?" He rolled his eyes and said, "That's easy - work." Ouch. It was at that moment I realized that my work life had overpowered everything - including my personal life. I did a quick inventory - few friends, no hobbies, all my free time dedicated to a job.

In his book Chained to the Desk: A Guidebook for Workaholics, Their Partners and Children, and the Clinicians Who Treat Them, Bryan E. Robinson makes the point that, "There's a big difference between a work ethic and a work obsession - and knowing it can greatly improve your quality of life." He goes on to say that, "For some people there are never enough hours in the workday. They never seem able to clear their desks, snap shut their briefcases and focus on the rest of life - even when they're financially secure and their work habits are threatening their health or home lives."

Do you find yourself waiting for the kids to go to bed so you can get back to work? Do you find yourself spending every waking moment thinking about work-related items? If you're finding yourself spending all your free energy and precious "off-work" moments thinking about work, then you've crossed over. You're no longer working to live, you're living to work and it's time to re-claim your life.

Tony DiRomualdo's June 22, 2006 article in Wisconsin Technology Network, "Work-life imbalance - A global problem getting worse" contains a thought-provoking quote from a Dutch gentleman that reads, "Society is changing but the way we think about work life isn't. Everyone knows the present organization of work does not work, but nobody is ready to translate this into actual practice, despite this having serious implications for gender equality and life satisfaction." The key to reclaiming your life isn't with drastic, overnight changes; instead, make a few simple adjustments to help you more effectively manage your "off-work" time.

Cut just 1 day short. Wednesdays are family night for us. We might see a movie, order pizza and watch a sporting event on TV, or play a board game - whatever we decide to do, I have to be home by 5:45pm. I've learned to plan my work around my Wednesday nights to avoid "conflicts of interest." Cutting even one day short has taught me a couple valuable lessons: (1) the work will still be there when I get in the next day; (2) I'm really not missing out on much.

Cook once, eat all week. The key to weeknight meals is making them quick and easy. Saturday is my cooking day. I spend 30 minutes finding what meals to make for the following week. I make a grocery list (if needed) and then hit the grocery store. I've made the grocery store run a learning lesson and it's time I spend with my son. We make a game out of it, dividing up the grocery list and seeing who can find the most items the quickest. Once back home, we cook the week's meals together. All the meals we make are designed as "heat and eat" meals so weeknights are a breeze. For ideas on how to cook once and then eat all week, visit the Food Network's website and click on 'Quick and Easy.' At the very bottom is a link called 'Cooking for Now and Later'

Make a lunch-time phone call. Stopping in the middle of the day to breathe and tell my husband I love him only takes 5 minutes and it reminds me how lucky I am. So, every day around noon, I make a quick phone call.

Take a break. Breaks are essential - especially if you're in front of a computer much of the time. Dr. Jeffrey Anshel's Healthy Computing article called, "Computer Vision Syndrome" discusses the many side effects of long computing sessions. "We all know that it's good to take breaks during prolonged periods of monitor use. But what's really happening when we overexert ours eyes? Staring at your monitor can lead to a variety of ailments, including headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, dry and irritated eyes, slow refocusing, neck and/or backache, sensitivity to light, double vision and color distortion - all common symptoms of a condition known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)." The American Optometric Association defines CVS as a "complex of eye and vision problems related to near work, which are experienced during or related to computer use." Take a walk or get up and stretch at least once an hour.

Subscribe to a music service. The new internet-based music services have something for all musical tastes. Music can regenerate the soul and help you re-connect with your senses. Online subscription services offer a wide variety of genres and for only a few dollars per month, you can download unlimited songs.

Get a personal coach. Personal coaching has recently soared in popularity. Coaches are individuals that are trained not to give advice but instead help individuals draw conclusions on their own through insightful, guided conversations. Finding the right coach can be therapeutic and help you work through some of life's biggest challenges. Explore the possibility of coaching by inquiring of your employer if they have an internal coaching program or by visit the Coach Connection.

Learn to meditate. Meditate? Have you often wondered what this really means? When I close my eyes in order to "get in touch" with myself, I begin sorting out my mental "to do" lists and often find myself searching for a piece of paper to write down all the free-flowing ideas. Meditation by definitions means, "A contemplative discourse, usually on a religious or philosophical subject." I've found that setting a timer for 5 minutes and then concentrating on deep breathing is about all the meditation I can take. It does, however, calm my mind and force me to think about something other than work.

Plan at least 1 weekend getaway and 1 week long getaway annually - *not* with extended family. Even if your parents or your in-laws are your best friends, you need to spend time with your nuclear family re-connecting. We see our colleagues at work more often than our family. Even when we do see our family, our time is split between the many obligations and responsibilities each person within the family fulfills. A weekend getaway can be as easy as a camping trip or as impulsive as snapping up that last minute plane ticket to Vegas on one of the discount travel sites.

Take up a hobby. TV is not an option here! A hobby should be something that focuses your mind for a period of time on something (other than work). Not sure what hobby suits you? Try spacefem.com's hobby survey.

It's time to re-claim your life! Think of it this way: if you were on your death bed, who is it that would be surrounding you, providing you comfort and telling you how important and loved you are? If the answer is not your co-workers, it's time to start spending time with the people that really care about you. The first step is learning to live again.