Creating a Work/Life Balance

When life starts to spin out of control, it is time to take a step back to get our work/life balance in check. These useful tips inspired from this month's Body + Soul magazine will help you achieve peace and harmony in your life.

1. Find simple pleasures
Whether it is stocking up on produce at the farmer's market and creating a unique meal with a seasonal vegetable, wearing your pajamas all weekend long and busting out your paint set to create a beautiful masterpeice, or cuddling on the couch with a good book, it is important to find simple pleasures among your hectic life.

2. Steal Weekends
Instead of taking one week long vacation during the year, take mini-vacations throughout the year. This will allow you to spend quality time with significant others, family and friends more than once a year. Also, this helps you stay on top of your work and not have to dig through a week's worth of emails after you return from a vacation.

3. Schedule Spontaneity
Put personal time on your calendar by scheduling a Zumba workout, a lunch date with your best friend, boyfriend, or husband downtown during your lunch break, or plan to cook a spontaneous breakfast for your family midweek. Marking your calendar during this time as BUSY will allow you the freedom to be spontaneous.

4. Join a Group
Whether you join Team in Training to train for a marathon or triathlon, a professional/social organization to sharpen your professional skills, or a Meetup.com group to unite you with others who share your passion in ________, joining a group will allow you to make new friends and work with a team to reach a goal.

5. Create a "balance sheet"
Create a "balance sheet" of what is important in your life and refer to it at the end of the week. What do you need to tweak next week to insure your are balanced? Some things that you could include are:
- exercise & nutrition
- husband
- extended family
- friends
- community
- career
- dreams & goals
- home organization
- learning
- exploration

6. Just say no
When you are invited to an event, you don't always have to say yes. Before you accept an invitation ask yourself, "is this something I really want to do?" and "is this something I really need to do?"

7. Free your mind
45 minutes on the treadmill or swimming laps in the pool will clear your mind from the stress of the day. Treat yourself to this. You will thank yourself afterwards.