A balance is defined as a “state of equilibrium”. You will often hear people refer to the sought-after concept of work-life balance, and often, we strive to ensure that we give as much as possible to all aspects of our life. We all play various roles in our lives; each part differs in importance and meaning.
I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, an employee (or Team Member), and a netball player, to mention a few. My role as a netball player may be less important than my role as a daughter, which would require a different level of effort and time. Am I always able to nail the desired “work-life balance”? Honestly, no. However, I have found ways to better manage my work and life roles to ensure that I am not dropping the ball at work or in my personal life.
Here is my two cents on how I think one can achieve this balance:
Prioritise what is important to you.
Spending time with my loved ones is one way I can refill my cup. After a productive day at the office, I make time to catch up with my loved ones and share the day’s highs and lows.
This does not only help me wrap up and detach from work but also keeps me in touch with an essential aspect of my life. Some people are up at 04h00 to get to the gym before the morning rush of enduring traffic as they head to work.
Others, on the other hand, get to work earlier than usual to put pencil to paper as they express themselves on artistic pieces. If it is important to you, you will make time for it.
Practice self-care.
It is easy to neglect yourself when you aim to do your best in every area of your life. We often pour into everyone else’s cups but forget to refill our own, despite our cups running on empty.
Leisurely walks on the beach, some good sleep, and the occasional spa date does the trick for me. Some may enjoy blowing off steam as they jog up the steep roads of the Ridgeside Office Park with the BET Running/Walking Club, and others may enjoy easing the tensions through some yoga or meditation.
Fortunately, at BET Software, we have flexi-hours that allow us the flexibility to factor in self-care practices. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something that makes you happier!
Ask for help.
Who doesn’t want to be the “I Can Do It All” Superhero/Superheroine? I would love to be able to do it all within a 24hr period, but realistically, I am unable to do so.
It is okay to ask for help when you need it. However, being constantly overwhelmed will result in burnout, leading to you not being able to give any of your roles much attention. Your Managers, fellow Team Members, friends, and family are there to help when things get out of hand; after all, as one of the #BETSoftware Values go:
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work.
We, as individuals, know what is important to us and therefore need to be intentional in giving attention to those areas of our work and lives. For example, there may be days when my Team Member role requires me to put in more effort than usual.
On those days, I may need to intentionally reshuffle my priorities and ask for help in the other roles I play. There is no one-size fits all approach to striking a balance. You need to be intentional about what works for you.
Pretty Dube
HR Business Partner
