You’re struggling to keep up with your professional commitments. How can you find time for yourself?

The idea of work-life balance has become more of a pun than a practice. Conversations within my HR network always include discussions about burnout and working longer. If you’re guilty raise your hand! To breakout of the cycle, I recommend these 5 actions: 1.Schedule breaks! Coffee break in the morning, a real lunch break , and a late afternoon break to refresh and reset. 2.Don’t neglect your physical fitness. Plan your physical activity time and stick to it. 3.Plan your ending time. I have a reminder set for 5:30p to start wrapping it up so I can shut down by 6:00p 4.Silence alerts for emails and other work-related apps when you shutdown. If there is a emergency you will get a call. 5.Learn how to say no. Volume does not equal efficiency.

Wichtig finde ich einen Schritt vorher zu machen: die Annahme bzw. Akzeptanz des IST- Zustands. Erst wenn ich mich darauf einlasse, ist eine klare und sinnvolle Priorisierung m.E. möglich.

Prioritize tasks, delegate when possible, and schedule dedicated “me time” in your calendar to maintain a balance between personal and professional commitments.

Find out about your needs. What's important to you and what do you want to make time for? I like to use glasses as a metaphor. Each of my needs is a glass and I evaluate how full they currently are and which ones need to be filled. Then I can explore what I want to do to fill them. Then I can prioritize those activities instead of trying to deprioritize the other tasks. It's easier for our brain to DO things instead of NOT DO things.

Não basta ser eficiente (fazer bem feito), é preciso ser eficaz (fazer a coisa certa). Ações eficazes para você manter seus compromissos profissionais e encontrar tempo para si mesmo: Liste tarefas que você realiza no cotidiano e classifique-as: - Delegação Plena - podem ser delegadas completamente. Então deixe de assumir o que não deve ser seu - Delegação acompanhada - podem ser delegadas mas precisam de monitoramento. Aqui você precisa ter um bom painel de controle - Execução compartilhada - você realiza parte do trabalho, enquanto outro(s) realizam o restante. Garanta bons alinhamentos de expectativas - Execução plena - é o escopo principal do seu trabalho. Planeje-se e organize-se. Lembre-se de contar ou solicitar recursos necessários.

I think this article is insinuating that struggling with professional commitments is a result of not making time for yourself. The two can be separate and unrelated topics. Regardless, boundaries play an important role in maintaining balance. If you are struggling to maintain your professional commitments, take a look at what you're committed to. Did you overfill your plate? Is there another reason why you're running into challenges? I think it's worth the time to assess where you are and see if there has been a boundary that has been crossed. Personally, if you wait until you find the time, it may not ever happen. You have to make the time and protect it. I've found it helpful to block out my calendar for "me" time and focus time.

Also take into account that we're living in a system that wants you to exploit yourself. To hustle and grind. So if you're feeling it's hard to escape the hustle and set clear boundaries, that's because it is! Give yourself credit for that.

Clearly communicate your availability, establish realistic expectations, and learn to say no when necessary. Setting boundaries is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Setting boundaries sounds restrictive - how you choose to spend your time is an act of self-leadership that reflects a deep understanding of one's limits and priorities. In my 15 years of coaching, I've seen that those who master boundary-setting by making a choice on what they spend their time on and for how long, can better manage stress and maintain mental and emotional fitness. It's about honouring your well-being and showing up as your optimal self. By being clear on what drains you and what replenishes your energy, you can make informed decisions that align with your purpose and values.

Always be honest and clear during your communication with the other part. The agreement must be good for both parts. Do not set "expected salary/payment", value yourself! Give straight numbers about the cost of your services for the job you'll be executing. More demand over of what was agreed, means increasing your service cost for the other part. Say no when necessary and never let the other part cross the boundaries.

Here's a mental trick that helped me a lot. When I encounter an opportunity for a meeting in a few weeks or even a few months, it's easy to say yes because it's so far into the future. What I ask myself then is, would I accept this meeting if it happened this afternoon or tomorrow morning? This raises the stakes. Likely, at that time in the future, I will be as busy as I am today, and it must be a real value driver for all parties involved. More often than not, I catch myself saying that the meeting might not be a good use of time. It could be held online or could be changed in nature. It's been quite a revelation.

Create a detailed schedule, set realistic goals, and prioritize tasks to stay organized and manage your professional commitments more effectively.

"Date myself" kann eine tolle Möglichkeit sein, sich selber einen verbindlichen Freiraum zu gönnen. Ein Termin, der Prio 1 hat. Sollte ich dieses Date einmal nicht einhalten können, so schiebe ich es in der gleichen Woche an andere Stelle. Kein kompletter Ausfall. Empfehlenswert ist, sich diese Auszeit unter der Woche einzutragen und nicht erst am Wochenende. So vermeiden wir Überlastung.

Adapt to unexpected changes, stay open-minded, and be willing to adjust your plans when needed to navigate the dynamic nature of your professional life.

Flexibility is a cornerstone of self-leadership and mental fitness. It's about being resilient in the face of life's inevitable changes and challenges. By embracing adaptability, you not only maintain your mental and emotional balance but also ensure that you can pivot towards more effective strategies, preserving your personal energy.

Time works like Tetris. Everything can be figured out with the angles readjusted to meet your needs. You work with the pieces you have, see where they fit, and go from there. Take small moments and embrace them intermittently.

Ok, dear AI, this is the most toxic thing to do. Telling someone who struggles to make time for themselves that they should just take some time for themselves. Like telling a depressed person "just don't be sad". Thanks. I think it's important to exercise making time for yourself in less demanding situations first. Train taking car for yourself and prioritizing yourself in times when you feel that you don't need it and it's easy. Because then you build skills that help you when the going gets tough. Starting a new habit or trying to change your behaviour in high-stress times is next to impossible.

In the realm of self leadership and mental fitness, making time for yourself isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. Drawing from 15 years of experience, I've learned that self-care is the cornerstone of resilience and the key to showing up as your optimal self. Whether it's through a hobby, meditation, or connecting with loved ones, dedicating time to recharge is essential for maintaining the mental and emotional fitness required to navigate life's challenges. Remember, that by being aware of what gives you energy and what drains it, you can lead yourself with greater purpose and clarity.

In my experience, I find that the most beneficial part of your job is to enjoy the process, be proactive, and see how many people you can connect with along the way! You never know who’s day you may change just by giving them a call to ask how their doing prior to jumping in to talking business. Working remotely has taught me to truly fight the motion that remote is less productive; it is not by any means reducing productivity. Balancing your workload with everyday life and having a supportive team that keeps in touch daily (even if virtually) has grown a work family that I will always be grateful for. Pro tip: be accountable , be proactive and be trustworthy always and you will grow a greater community of support behind you ❤️

We do forget sometimes to enjoy life, just because life hands you a cactus that doesn’t mean you have to sit on it. Why would you let external circumstances bring you down? Easy to say and hard to do. But part of setting boundaries is setting those around what’s important to you and not letting external factors erode your foundations. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, acknowledging what you do well in the moment, being silly with your family, enjoy knowing that you are in control of your actions and responses. This does come back to setting things up in the first place, knowing what your vision, values and goals are then enjoy the process of living your life as the most authentic you.

Part I Also explore the believes that keep you from prioritizing yourself. Maybe your caregivers or other people that were important to you in your early life blessed you with some believes that might have served and still serve you up to a certain point but also hinder you to rest, take care of yourself and prioritize your mental health.

Part II Try to find such phrases that you keep telling yourself or that you think are "truths" about the world. Write them down and consider the costs of those. In what sense do they serve you and in when do they keep you from? Do cons outrun the potential pros? Great, now you got your motivation to change those beliefs. Now try to find a new phrase to change for the old one. It should be optimistic, but also plausible for you individually. Write those new beliefs down as well. They will feel wrong and awkward as your brain is not used to them. Now it's time to use them. As often as possible. Write them on post-its, memorize them, note outcomes in favor, etc.