Struggling to balance work and personal life?

An ultimate form of emotional intelligence is the awareness that you are both the source and the recipient of what you create around you. This means that without taking care of yourself, you cannot create optimal results--optimal results require care. We must treat ourselves with the standard we desire to see in all areas of life. It is the old analogy of pouring out of an empty cup. To resist acknowledging that an empty cup [self] cannot continue pouring does not change the truth of that fact. There is no getting around being human. Deciding what we can and cannot do from an anchor of what a cared for version of [self] looks like is effective, not the other way around. Rest does not have to be earned. It's a must. And a full cup will pour.

If you struggle with work-life balance, you might find that you are often rushing to manage different commitments, often left feeling like you are doing no areas well. Working long hours may impact your health, make your work unsafe, increase your stress levels and cut into time for leisure activities. A good work-life balance means you have harmony (most of the time) between the different aspects of your life. Outside of work you will have time to spend on other things, such as caring for yourself and your family, and leisure activities. If you can spend time on personal care, socialising, hobbies and relaxation, this can support your overall well being.

I would like to suggest situational awareness. In any given situation a stimulus triggers loud bells ringing in your head which act as a "red-flag" or warning signal. Our awareness of the situation goes beyond self-awareness. Your response first is a response to being out of balance and put into a state of discontentedness. We immediately begin to sort out what is going on. In the case of feeling overwhelmed and taxed, we need to evaluate the situation in order to gather ourselves for making a proper response. This is ultimately an opportunity to evaluate the need for course correction.

Don’t overthink but plan good. Here is how: - start your duties from the hardest ones in the morning, don’t procrastinate it due to fear - just challenge yourself and do it, - collaborate - you are not alone, so ask others for support, delegate tasks, - plan your time with spare 20% for time estimates, - award yourself in the end of the day for a good ?? job. Build your daily plan, create good habits and soon you will see the results. Believe in yourself ??

We can set boundaries using EQ by being self-aware of our needs and limits. We must recognize when we need to step away from work to recharge. Don't be shy in clearly and assertively communicating these boundaries to your colleagues and supervisors... Express why they're important for your well-being and productivity. Empathy also plays a major role; we must understand that our team members have similar needs. We must respect their boundaries as well.

Be clear about your boundaries. There is a better time to be subtle, as someone might interpret your messaging differently, and you might not get the correct result. If you need to end your day by 4:30 to pick up your kids, be upfront with, "I have a hard stop at 4:30 so I can pick up my kids", not "I probably need to run by 4:30". The latter is vague and might not be honored by those around you. A crucial part of Emotional Intelligence is to say what you mean.