"So there is no such thing as work-life balance. There’s work, and there’s life, and there’s no balance," said Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook, in an interview.
When a top global female executive makes that statement - it has the potential to stop you in your tracks! However, despite it being elusive, as long as the balance does exist there’s always hope of achieving it.
A gender bias?
A common perception that women struggle to balance between their several commitments is fast being negated by research which reports that men too grapple with similar issues.
Being viewed as the ‘breadwinner’, career progression, longer working hours, increased travel - particularly overseas, and increasing costs remain pressures that men face more as they look to balance work and life. Research suggests that the key to worklife balance is actually ‘one thing at a time and that done well.’ This is irrespective of gender - it is more about the fact that you are physically present at a place rather than where you think you should be, and that could be at home with the family for dinner or at an important client meeting.
Here are some tips to help in the drive towards work-life balance:
- Plan, prioritise, and delegate: the three keys to managing your time.
- Work on your health: a healthy body is your biggest asset in tackling an action-filled day
- Recharge with short breaks: this includes the whole range from a break within the working day to weekend getaways. When you are on personal time - switch off.
- Build relationships: Your social network will help you unwind, de-stress, and put things in perspective
- Forgive yourself: When things go wrong - step back and ask yourself the question, ‘Was that feasible, given everything else that’s on my plate?’ If the answer is no, then let it go.
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