The Obstacles of Self-Care & Work-Life Balance
The Obstacles of Self-Care & Work-Life Balance
A lot of us talk about the importance of self-care and work-life balance, but often we neglect to mention two very important aspects…
1. It’s really hard to find the time!
2. The guilt many of us feeling taking time for ourselves away from work or family
Indeed, both are completely valid and not easily overcome. Still, let’s not kid ourselves and actually talk about both of these obstacles.
As for finding the time… it’s not so much finding the time, but making the time and guarding it as a high priority.
For example, my job has high flexibility, but also, I don’t get paid when I don’t work. This makes it hard to make self-care a priority when I know exactly how much it costs me to go for a bike ride for an hour instead of seeing a client for an hour.
Still, what’s the point of work and money if not to spend it occasionally on something you love??? I love being physically active, and rail-trail riding brings me incredible peace and rejuvenation.
Is it not worth it to sacrifice an hour to refill your tank? If it’s something you enjoy, is it even really a “sacrifice”?
You may ask, What’s the ROI on a bike ride? Well, it’s improved performance. It’s a better attitude at work. It’s more patience with your kids.
Sounds like a good investment to me!
Oh, and it helps when your employer supports this as well!
As for the guilt, I get it. Life is all about priorities and sacrifices, and prioritizing self-care sacrifices something else. It can be hard to find the right “balance” of all the many pulls we have in life.
Still, I don’t believe we as human beings are meant to work 50 weeks a year only to enjoy 2 weeks off each year.
Life is about enjoyment and exploration. It’s about connection and finding happiness- not just growing the company’s top line or your own personal bank account.
It may take a bit of a cognitive shift to not feel guilty with self-care, but here’s the truth…
Stress + stress = burnout and deterioration
Rest + stress = growth and optimal performance