We need to talk about work-life balance. And, no, this isn’t going to be way too over-used, “Wake up 20 minutes earlier than normal and do yoga and your life will just fall into place.”
There are plenty of articles out there trying to solve the true meaning behind work-life balance. The true meaning is that it’s different for everyone – that’s just it.
There’s no recipe or method that will work for every single person because everyone leads different lives. The thing with work-life balance is that you need to find a method that works for you, and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing.
Sure, you can look at Sheryl next door and say, “Wow, she has time for everything and looks amazing. She must have it all figured out.” Sheryl has likely just figured out what works for her, and that isn’t going to be what works for you.
This is the same as looking at someone’s general path of life. We all have different advantages and disadvantages, and no two stories are the same.
Because most days of our lives are different (though many feel the same), there are different curveballs we’re thrown in our schedule, and we have to be open-minded to be flexible about the way we handle all of our tasks. The only advice that will work for every single person is to be sure to take time for yourself, or you might go bananas.
Carve out some time in each day to collect your thoughts and just breathe a little bit. Know that there will be days when things get chaotic and you feel like you can’t keep your head afloat, but don’t confuse that with how the rest of your life feels.
Sometimes we’ll look at Facebook during work hours, and sometimes we’ll answer a work email on the weekends. That’s just how it is.
Anything past this that may be causing you stress is necessary to define, and then find a way to combat the stress. No one knows you better than yourself, so it’s up to you to find your own kickass means of work-life balance. Trust me, you’ve got this.
Staff Writer, Taylor Leddin is a publicist and freelance writer for a number of national outlets. She was featured on Thrive Global as a successful woman in journalism, and is the editor-in-chief of The Tidbit. Taylor resides in Chicago and has a Bachelor in Communication Studies from Illinois State University.
