Finding that work-life balance in the new normal

It can be trying at the best of times, to include all that we want to do in our day or week. Often, we like to prioritise fitting our key priorities into our daily routine. What is often found though is that as we set our daily workload – habits, extra tasks or events we wish to fit in - our day-to-day life fills up quickly. The ‘always busy’ effect The hustle-work culture habits are easy to fall into. The ‘always busy’ effect is where we are always on and find it challenging to switch off and achieve balance between work and play. There are personality types this works well for, but for others it is something that quickly becomes a problem. More than ever, we are seeing and adjusting to a new way of working, and obtaining a more complete work-life balance may not be as simple as it once was.  Our lives are typically made up of many essential factors, such as: work, home, the environment, the people we surround ourselves with and our personal pursuits. These all help nourish, grow and inspire us to be more, but also impact on our daily energy and wellness levels. Finding your achievable spot Finding out what works best for you, helps set you up for optimal results and increased productivity, alongside supporting you to achieve your utmost dreams and goals. If we only ever do and move, and never just be in the moment, we will never have the time to contemplate or consider what may be next on our to-do list for inner achievement. Also, if we never get to rest or restore, this can make us vulnerable to adrenal fatigue and burn out syndrome (commonly known as the exhaustion crisis) from always being in a state of doing and being switched on. To ensure and obtain highly productive work, inner content and optimal well-being, working in a sustainable way can help us, and ultimately, alongside supporting us in obtaining and achieving our set goals.  When we want to create physical health, we may have to include more movement and exercise in our week to help build muscle, lung and mitochondrial capacity, alongside total fitness. When we need to restore or boost emotional health we also need the same daily habits to help support and sustain us for complete emotional well-being.   See the top five ingredients below for helping set up achievable goals, self-growth and total body and mind wellness: 1.    Include and do what you really believe in. Working in a role we are passionate about helps nourish and inspire us, these are essential ingredients for long-term wellness. Sometimes this is a step-by-step process, we can work at achieving this if we are not currently in that position. Putting the steps in place to help us achieve it, such as: further study, enquiring at work for more possibilities or gaining more work skills in your desired field.    2.    Find your focus. Setting your day up to reflect your most important tasks and including you goals alongside them. This helps build and inspire us towards our inner most goals, if we are practising them every day that sets us up to reach our end goal.   3.    Write it down in a diary. Helps keep check and remind us of their importance to us. This provides natural inspiration for us to keep going in those more difficult days or times. 4.    Tell people. This helps to keep it real, making it come to life for us. Talk about it often with others. This will possibly help you find the missing pieces for that next job, the needed skills or extra emotional support you may need for that step.   5.    See your success and visualise your goals. Attaining your goals takes work, patience and commitment. Aligning yourself with the right ingredients to see your goals come true, requires your input. Seeing yourself succeed is a vital part of the process.   It is our journey that often teaches us the most, as we work towards something or implement new goals. Keep in mind that the destination is only part of your growth. All the stops along the way are what helps us stretch, grow and make us who we are - helping to complete and fulfil our emotional and physical well-being.