I hear more and more people (and read more and more articles) talking about the struggle to achieve work-life balance, and that it should rather be labeled as “work-life integration” because balance doesn’t really exist. I get it, we’re all very busy and overwhelmed in this fast-paced life. And I totally agree that trying to combine work with life doesn’t make sense. Either you focus on one or the other, right?
Well, not really. In my opinion, until you keep putting work and life on the same level, until you keep considering work and life as competing interests, you will never achieve balance. There’s more than finding a few hours for yourself to relax or setting boundaries with your clients. Everything starts in your body (and in your brain).
So how is my coaching practice different? I use a holistic approach that focuses on the body and mind connection. For me, work is not the same as life. Your personal life comes before your professional life.
I prioritize. I put YOU first, YOU are the starting point. When you as the individual, as the human being, are thriving, then we move to you as the business person. Once your body and mind get aligned and they work together, we take care of your professional life. By establishing healthy habits to optimize nutrition, sleep, exercise, self-care, and stress management, you are able to improve your well-being, energy, positivity, creativity, focus, productivity. You can then move to your business needs, and you will be able to accomplish more in less time. This will eventually create more time for yourself and for what you love to do. Basically, you will create a positive loop that will maintain constant happiness and produce long-lasting results in your personal and professional life. This is how you achieve Life-Work Balance: life comes first, then work can get done.
People often say their business failed because they didn’t set the right goals, they didn’t have enough money, they didn’t have the experience, they weren’t focused enough, and so on. But a business also fails because they are not present as individuals, and they forget about lifestyle choices that can have a big impact on their results. They:
- Don’t fuel themselves with the right nutrients (real food, that is – not processed or packaged meals rich in simple carbs and refined sugar that cause brain fog and slow down our brain’s performance)
- Are sleep-deprived (we consolidate memory and detoxify our cells while we sleep)
- Lead a sedentary life (exercise boosts our immune system, reduces stress, and produces hormones responsible for happiness, positivity, creativity)
- Don’t find the time to practice self-care (no, it’s not a luxury – it’s necessary for our physical and mental health)
So, if they’re not able to be there for their business, who will?
That’s why it’s very important for us to thrive as an individual first. “The greatest wealth is health”, as Virgil said thousands of years ago. Nothing is more valuable than that in our life.
I don’t believe in work-life balance. I don’t believe the word “work” should ever be placed before the word “life”. Why? Because we are human beings before everything else, we are not human doings. Today we give too much emphasis on our working life, and we put ourselves at risk for chronic stress and chronic disease. This is not good for us and not good for our business. I found myself in that same situation years ago, and it wasn’t fun.
Change your life today. Live better and more in harmony. Achieve Life-Work Balance by following these principles:
- Eat better
- Sleep more
- Exercise regularly
- Love yourself (self-care)
- Own your life (be more strategic with your time)
Make sure that you take care of yourself first. You will improve your well-being, increase your energy, positivity, clarity. As a result, you will become more productive and more profitable. This is what I call success, in life and in business!
Originally published on Sabrina Cadini’s blog.
Photo courtesy: Pexels