How to balance commitments when time is tight?
Do you ever find yourself in a rut with so much to do and so little time? The answer to this reoccurring life dilemma is of course a work-life balance and a routine. So easy right? Well… no. Some of us might say “oh I can’t be so regimented all of the time, I just don’t work like that.” The thing is though, we do. We all have our own routines, they may just look a little different for each person.
One of the main issues blocking us from identifying and following a routine that provides me with a work-life balance is me. It’s important when we feel overwhelmed to sit down and see where I am at mentally. If we are stressed and overwhelmed, more than likely we are not going to make great decisions for ourselves. A routine becomes harder and harder to accomplish, and I am slowly but surely burning out with no mental capacity for resolution. Most of us have probably at one point done that test whereby we find out how much time in our week we give to each aspect of our life. Well, Vanderweele (2017) suggests that there are five domains of human life that should be focused on for a balance in all aspects of life and for human flourishing. They are spirituality, family, work, health, and community.
Spirituality
Often neglected, this is an area of life that should be prioritised. Religion and faith aside, spirituality creates our purpose in life that we use to create a good life for ourselves. We can follow principles and they dictate how we may think, feel, and behave. When our actions fall out of line with our spiritual beliefs, this can cause an imbalance within this life domain that can affect the other domains. It’s important to set time aside for this domain so that we can create consistency and purpose in what we do.
Family
Family is an essential domain. Family has a strong influence on the way we live our lives. The meaningful relationship is the heart of this domain. This domain can become imbalanced when a person’s roles and responsibilities are not being fulfilled. This may be because another domain is receiving more attention such as work. This imbalance can occur when a person's beliefs, values, and behaviours are not in line with other family members which often results in fractured relationships. Not always in our control, this domain can fluctuate in priority.
Work
This domain can become the biggest domain for us when we are not focused on balance taking into account the other domains. Work is a fundamental part of our lives because it has a big role in our lifestyles and life plans. Work provides a will to learn, develop, and accomplish goals. It can give meaning and create a place for us in society. It is important that people enjoy what they are doing, where they are working, and who they are working with. If not, we will find other aspects of life and domains much more difficult. If we invest too much time to this domain to the detriment of the other domains, then it may cause an imbalance.
Health
This domain concerns physical, emotional, mental health and wellbeing. We hear a lot about mental health and wellbeing these days, however, physical health can deteriorate from work stress too. When we have poor health or let the stress get to us too much, it can affect independent living and the ability to work and engage with family and friends. This can be damaging to positive emotional and mental health and wellbeing. When we feel like we are on the way to burning out, it’s crucial that we reflect on how we got here and what’s got to give in order to get back on track. Understanding how to exercise, eat healthily, relax, and connect spiritually helps to promote overall health.
Community
We all need friends and relationships outside of our family or work. These can range from close friendships from different stages of life to communities, such as a club, faith or sports-based interests, or hobbies that allow us to develop a sense of belonging with others. That sense of belonging is essential in our lives and allows us to be united and, like family, allows a sense of safety and security. Like any teamwork activity, It provides a sense of achievement and fulfillment, especially when an individual is working toward a shared community goal, such as raising money for a good cause or helping others within the community. Nevertheless, spending too much time with the community and neglecting other domains, such as family, can cause an imbalance.
And look, there is nothing wrong with a routine.
Not only do we have many domains to balance, we have many many tasks within each domain that change all the time. These domains will change in priority and we will have to adjust by setting goals. Life changes and so should our priorities in our domains.
What can I do to create balance in my life?
I can acknowledge and accept that I cannot complete everything in every domain at the same time. Sometimes life will get in the way and that is ok. The ability to accept ourselves is a crucial factor in improving our overall feelings of emotional well-being.
I can say no! The art of saying ‘no’ without feeling guilty is an especially hard thing to do, but it can help us rid ourselves of all the things that are preventing us from living positively in all domains.
When we don’t meet deadlines, our time management is all over the place and we are stretching ourselves too far, the life domains become stretched too. Planning the main priorities can help to minimise stress.
Ensure time is scheduled for relaxation. Many studies have found this is important in reducing stress and anxiety.
Reference
Vanderweele, 2017: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1702996114