What do you do if your work-life balance is suffering?

When work-life balance is compromised, it's crucial to assess your priorities. Reflect on whether your projects align with your professional goals and core values. Learn to say "no" to opportunities that don't align with these objectives. This helps maintain a healthier balance between professional achievements and personal well-being, ensuring your work truly reflects your purpose.

When work-life balance is suffering, it's essential to assess priorities to regain control and perspective. Take a step back and evaluate what truly matters most to you in both your professional and personal life. Identify your core values, goals, and commitments, and prioritize them accordingly. I understand the importance of aligning our actions with our priorities to achieve a sense of balance and fulfillment.

This is a very real issue in the modern, ultra connected workplace. There are a few things I do: 1. Assess the situation - Is this a temporary thing needed for the time or a longer, almost habitual issue? 2. Raise the white flag - After assessing and seeing that things are not just temporarily out of balance, take action. Often times others are aware and see it but are being respectful and giving space. It is ok to admit that things are not balanced in order to raise awareness. 3. Create an action plan to regain the balance - What are you doing that you shouldn't be? What in your load is unbalanced and? Sometimes, you simply just need a day to catch up or a day removed from it all to just relax. Whatever it is, take action don't continue.

Take a step back and evaluate how you're allocating your time and energy. Identify what aspects of your life are most important to you, whether it's spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, or taking care of your health. Then, reassess your commitments and responsibilities to see if they align with your priorities. Look for opportunities to delegate tasks, set boundaries, or reorganize your schedule to create more space for the things that matter most to you. Remember that achieving a healthy work-life balance requires conscious effort and ongoing adjustments. By prioritizing what truly matters to you, you can regain control over your time and improve your overall well-being.

1. Create two priority lists: work and personal. 2. List all of your obligations on their respective lists, including the consequences if the actions are not complete or deadlines are not met. 3. Consult others on your work list and ask for help reprioritizing. Often times high achievers can view things as more urgent than they really are. Having that outside in view can help in trade off conversations. 4. Ensure items on your personal list are aligned with your personal values. If your list is overwhelmingly full of things that are not values aligned, it is time to get out the red pen and edit accordingly.

Setting clear boundaries between work and personal life is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Establish designated times for work and leisure activities, and stick to them as much as possible. Learn to say no to non-urgent work requests or commitments that encroach on your personal time. By setting boundaries, you create space for relaxation, rejuvenation, and meaningful connections outside of work.

This is, from my perspective, the hardest task. As someone coming from a very hardworking and giving culture, saying "no" and setting boundaries sounds quite unnatural. It's still a learning process for me and I know it's a valuable skill and it will help me a lot, but it is still something to keep constantly in mind.

Setting boundaries is easiest when you join a new team or accept a new role. These conversations should happen in your 'getting to you know you' session with your new leader and/or team. During these meetings inform the team about your working hours, why these boundaries are important to you and your plan to balance the needs of the business against your schedule. I recommend revisiting these boundaries on a quarterly basis to allow time to adjust as necessary and to check-in with your leadership team to see if there are any blind spots you are missing. It is also very important to realize that everyone has multiple demands on their time and if everyone gives and accepts grace, everything can work out.

I recognize the value of delegation in achieving a better work-life balance. Delegate tasks and responsibilities to capable team members or colleagues, trusting in their abilities to deliver results. Empower your team members to take ownership of their work and contribute to the overall success of the team. By sharing the workload and leveraging the strengths of others, you can free up time and mental energy to focus on your well-being and personal priorities.

Make downtime a non-negotiable part of your schedule to recharge and unwind regularly. Schedule breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge, whether it's taking a short walk, practicing mindfulness, or enjoying a hobby. Block off dedicated time in your calendar for leisure activities and self-care practices that nourish your body, mind, and soul. By prioritizing downtime, you can replenish your energy reserves and maintain a sustainable pace in both work and life.

Everyone talks about how downtime is important, but in this case, actions speak louder than words. Ensure your team sees you fully checking out of work. If you have scheduled time for personal development, to go fishing, or sit at home and binge Netflix -- be completely out of office. Of course many of us need to be reachable during an emergency, but this is also a great opportunity to delegate authority to team members.

Well, sometimes sharing and talking end up either diverting or convoluting the entire issue. It's important to know who is the right person to talk to. Sometimes talking to the wrong person do more harm than help.

Don't hesitate to seek support from colleagues, friends, or family members when work-life balance becomes challenging. Reach out for help with tasks or responsibilities that feel overwhelming, and lean on your support network for emotional support and encouragement. I motivate open communication and collaboration, recognizing that we're stronger together than we are alone. By seeking support, you can alleviate stress and find solutions to achieve a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Take time regularly to reflect on your work-life balance and make adjustments as needed to ensure alignment with your priorities and goals. Assess what's working well and what could be improved, and brainstorm strategies for achieving a better balance moving forward. As a seasoned servant leader, I believe in the power of self-reflection to gain clarity, insight, and direction in both work and life. By reflecting regularly, you can make intentional choices that support your well-being and overall happiness.

Sometimes it's necessary to just stop and ask yourself, "why am I rushing"? "why is this important"? "what goal is this accomplishing"? "is this worth it"? "what should I really be focusing on right now"?

"You can't pour from an empty cup." Getting your life in balance WILL make you a BETTER leader. That's a hard lesson to learn because it feels opposite. If I take care of everyone else & I hold up this inverted pyramid all by myself & I go to extreme lengths for my team, then I am a great leader! WRONG. Are you ready for a harsh reality? You are actually doing them a DOUBLE disservice. 1) A burnt out leader is not an effective leader and 2) You are setting a bad example and an impossible standard for your direct reports to follow. You may be SAYING you don't have the same expectations of them, but your actions speak louder and tell a different story. Get the balance in order FOR THEM not for just for you.

I would say start with the physical fundamentals. For example, ensure that you sleep well most of the time because sleeping well means more focus and more energy, which leads to better decision making. Also consider doing some type of aerobic activity at least 150min a week as recomended by the department of health and human services. Finally, delegate and prioritize tasks and monitor the process to improve as needed.

It's always a delicate balance, isn't it? As a career mother I'm always battling the guilt of not being there for my children. Through the years I've learned not to bend over backwards for my bosses, set boundaries and assess my priorities. Sometimes what seemed important in that second is actually a minor issue in hindsight. When faced with such crossroads, slow down, stop, close your eyes, take a deep breath, count to 10, and then reopen your eyes to a different perspective.