I was in the petrol station last week and I saw something that I had not seen for a while…. a long queue of people at the deli counter. Looking around me, I could see people in their cars eating their lunch, people queuing at petrol pumps and a long queue of cars waiting to attend the car wash. Then it hit me suddenly…we are back! From what I could see, it was obvious that a large portion of people have returned to the workplace, myself included, and I wondered if the work-life balance everyone enjoyed and commented on when remote working, was still a priority, or are people starting to abandon their needs again?
I am sure those of you who have returned to the office have noticed the increase in traffic, the time spent commuting, the time spent queuing at delis and that extra time needed to prepare to leave the house, I know I have, and it has got me thinking is work-life balance a myth ….but more of that in a moment
Work-Life Balance
About Me
Hi there, welcome to all the new readers! My name is Gillian O’Gorman, and I am in the business of helping people say ‘No’. I am a Wellness Coach who supports clients in developing clear boundaries in both their professional and personal life. Boundaries are limits that we set, a list of rules we present to others teaching them how to treat us. They are unique to us and related to our individual needs. I am excited to share more of this in the coming months.
Click Here for more about my story.
So why am I talking about work-life balance? As life has become busy again, I am wondering are you noticing what you are saying yes to and what you are saying no to? This week alone, I had to cancel a physio appointment and a training session due to the mismanagement of my time! I said no to my needs because I said yes to work. This was not intentional, but it was my responsibility, and it was only later in the day that I realised I had not made those appointments non-negotiable, but I had negotiated on my well-being…..and I am a Wellness Coach?!!!
Boundaries
You see, just as we developed new healthy habits and more balance in lockdown, we now have to create healthy and clear boundaries to maintain that balance. Developing and sustaining new habits takes commitment, discipline and clarity. Therefore, the question I ask you today is what are your non-negotiables and have you placed a boundary around them? In an article released by Harvard Business Review earlier this year, a survey of 78 professionals in London showed that in order to achieve work-life balance, you must look at it as a cycle of continuous reflection and improvement and not a one time activity. Therefore, are you currently reflecting on your choices?
Self-Reflection
In 2020, I experienced a huge upsurge in my coaching business with people wanting to work with me to focus on creating more work-life balance. The common theme among them was they felt burnt out, they couldn’t make clear decisions, they had no down time, no time for fun or adventure and always felt like they were not accomplishing what they needed to. These are classic symptoms of burnout, and so through our work together I got them to become aware of what their values were, when boundaries are crossed and how to create their own YES list.
Absolute YES list
Creating balance is not always about what you add to your life, it is can be about what you take away. Maybe read that again. By creating your own Absolute Yes List, i.e. the top priorities in your life, you start to live more consciously and with clear intention. When you do this, it becomes easier for you to identify unhelpful behaviours and become aware of the things that you need to say no to. Ultimately you get to decide what work-life balance means to you.
On Monday the 15th November, I am hosting The Boundary Masterclass where I will help you to understand why boundaries are important, and how to recognise your time & energy wasters, how to set boundaries with yourself and why you avoid saying no.
By the end of this 90 minute program you will begin to:
- Understand what BALANCE means to you and have identified areas of improvement
- Become aware of what you value and how you wish to dispense your TIME & ENERGY
- Have defined your list of NON-NEGOTIABLES
- Understand the challenges that may arise that may block you from achieving a more balanced lifestyle
- Practice NO statements
- Have an AWARENESS of your stress response (fight, flight, freeze or fawn), and how to overcome
- Have a knowledge of mindset strategies to build resilience and self-love
- Each participant will receive a recording of the webinar and a complimentary workbook to dive into this work further
Remember in order to create balance there will be things you need to say no to, allowing you to create a happy and balanced lifestyle, something that we all deserve.
