CHAPTER 27. BENEFITS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE

from our upcoming book Our Secret Book of Benefits

As soon as you romanticize your job - you become a slave. Man is the only animal that works. Work in itself is unnatural. But work is a social reality. Limit it. Don't allow the work to takeover your life.

From young age, I like to take a nap daily afternoon. I like to explore multiple ways of doing anything and everything. I like a relaxed approach to learning & work. I like to learn deep and work very efficiently. I like to balance my needs, self-care, work, social life, health and so on.

So, basically after multiple jobs – I found that I am not suitable for working in a 9 to 5 job. I quit jobs hoping to get a better one in terms of balancing my well-being. I did not get such a job. I believe such a job does not exist, as the underlying principle of every job is maximal utilization of the employee!

So, I quit the concept of working as an employee and explored alternatives. After various trials (private business, passive earning, freelancing etc), I found that a home-based small-scale business suits my personality. That’s what I do now. I no more have negative feelings associated with work or job.

Work-life balance is the amount of time you spend working versus the time you spend on personal interests and hobbies. It's about feeling fulfilled and content in both areas of your life. 

What does a healthy work-life balance look like?

• Meeting work deadlines while still having time for self-care, hobbies, family and friends

• Having enough time to sleep and eat well 

• Not worrying about work when you're at home 

• Being able to excel in your professional responsibilities while also dedicating time to your personal passions and family 

Here is a list of steps for achieving a work-life balance (I have worked on almost all of these):

1. Define Your Priorities:

• Identify your values: What truly matters to you in life? Family, friends, hobbies, personal growth, health? For me, HEALTH was the most important priority in my life from young age - so I rejected every work that affected my health. And discovered healthy ways of working.

• Set realistic goals: What do you want to achieve in your career and personal life? In college days and early employment, excellence, higher earnings, progress was the goal. However, as I progressed, I discovered that balancing all the aspects of my life was the best goal for me.

• Create a vision for your ideal life: What does a balanced and fulfilling life look like to you? Living peacefully in a farm, not employed for earning, having time for self-care, being able to take care of family, to be able to give plenty of time for homeschooling of our daughters, growing food and so on were visions for my ideal life.

2. Set Boundaries:

• Define work hours: Establish clear boundaries between work and personal time. I have a strict visiting time for clients - morning 8 AM to 9 AM only. This earns me enough and leaves me all day to take care of my other commitments. Initially on the farm, I gave few hours daily for telephonic calls with the clients - but I have now switched to messaging, which is much more efficient, needs fraction of the time needed for calls and can be done whenever possible.

• Learn to say "no": Don't overcommit. Politely (bluntly if needed) decline extra work when necessary. People come with all kinds of demands to me like write blogs in Kannada, translate the previous writings in Kannada, visit their cities for seeing more clients, talk with them frequently on calls, solve their friends lifestyle problems telephonically and so on. I say "no". Some people insist more - I say "why don't you do it?", and they disappear forever.

• Disconnect from work: Turn off work emails and notifications outside of work hours.

• Create a dedicated workspace: If you work from home, designate a specific area for work to minimize distractions. I make sure that clients are not crossing boundaries of our personal life and space. At the same time, I allow genuinely interested people into our life and space.

3. Time Management Techniques:

• Prioritize tasks: Focus on the most important tasks first. First thing in the morning for me is writing and completing the morning rituals. Followed by having a look at the garden. After this, I start working, messaging, calling, packaging oils, booking courier pickup for packages, or seeing visitors and complete it by 11 AM. After this - its no work zone.

• Use a planner or to-do list: Organize your tasks and schedule. I use a pocket diary as a checklist to not miss tasks. I had used bullet journals also very effectively earlier.

• Break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.

• Learn to delegate: If possible, delegate tasks to colleagues or family members. We share all tasks based on who can handle well - this makes sure that burden is not put on a single person and children also learn everything.

• Minimize distractions: Turn off notifications, find a quiet workspace, and avoid multitasking.

4. Prioritize Self-Care:

• Make time for exercise: Regular physical activity reduces stress and improves overall well-being. Daily evening 2-3 hours is our gardening time. Other times of the day too we garden.

• Prioritize sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. We have dinner by 7 PM and go to bed by 8-9 PM and make sure that we get 7-9 hours of sleep most nights.

• Eat a healthy diet: Nourish your body with whole foods. No junk, no packaged foods, no stored foods, no street food, no processed foods is our families policy.

• Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques: Meditation, deep breathing, and yoga can help reduce stress. Whenever we have a health issue, stress or anxiety - we immediately go for yoga and meditation. Yoga and meditations are much more easier than you can imagine. For instance, I have developed a meditation technique of reverse counting of numbers, letters or any such fixed patterns - this needs no training and anybody can do it.

• Engage in hobbies and interests: Make time for activities you enjoy outside of work. We have so many such hobbies like writing, reading, cooking, gardening, stitching, DIY, experimenting and so on.

5. Communicate Effectively:

• Communicate your boundaries with your employer: Discuss your work-life balance needs with your manager. If someone calls again and again - I just block him. If someone comes again and again after set hours - I just refuse to give time to him.

• Communicate effectively with colleagues and clients: Maintain open and honest communication to avoid misunderstandings. This is very important - problems are created by our failure to communicate.

6. Regularly Review and Adjust:

• Regularly evaluate your work-life balance: Are you happy with your current situation? Very regularly, we make any necessary change like modifying communication methods, changing timings and so on to suit our needs. Clients needs are not my first priority. Clients needs are always taken care after my needs are fulfilled! I have seen a poster in many shops from childhood - client is god (ಗ್ರಾಹಕರೇ ದೇವರು) - It is not true. I found that the client, boss, colleagues, juniors and everyone you come across is just a super-parasite constantly looking to exploit you.

• Make adjustments as needed: Be flexible and willing to adjust your strategies as your circumstances change.

7. Seek Support:

• Talk to your partner, friends, or family: Share your challenges and seek support from your loved ones.

• Consider professional help: If you're struggling to achieve work-life balance, consider seeking guidance from a therapist or counselor.

Remember: Work-life balance is a continuous journey, not a destination. It requires ongoing effort and adjustments to find what works best for you.

Achieving work-life balance brings a multitude of benefits like:

• Reduced Stress & Anxiety: Less stress and anxiety lead to improved mental and emotional well-being.

• Improved Physical Health: Better sleep, healthier eating habits, and increased physical activity contribute to improved physical health.

• Stronger Relationships: More time for family, friends, and loved ones strengthens personal connections.

• Increased Creativity & Productivity: When rested and rejuvenated, individuals are more creative, productive, and innovative.

• Enhanced Job Satisfaction: Employees who feel valued and supported in their personal lives are more satisfied with their jobs.

• Increased Self-Confidence: Achieving a healthy work-life balance boosts self-esteem and confidence.

• Personal Growth: It allows for time for personal growth, such as pursuing hobbies, learning new skills, and engaging in community activities.

Do not confuse work with life - there are many more aspects to life than work. Work is just a social way of fulfilling our life-needs. Work is solely for life. Life is not solely for work.

****