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From Stressed to Best: How Work-Life Balance Can Boost Your Health and Happiness

In today’s fast-paced world, having a solid work-life balance isn’t just nice—it’s essential. Striking that balance helps you do well at work, grow personally, and keep your health in check. Managing your time wisely makes you more productive and leaves you with enough energy to enjoy life outside the office. Not sure how to achieve more balance? Here are some ideas.

Coaching is a great way to achieve better balance. As a coach, Jenny serves as a success partner, strategist, and personal advocate. We focus on YOU and on being proactive.

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How Balance Improves Your Work Quality

Creating balance isn’t only about cutting back on work hours; it’s about using your time off in a way that keeps you feeling refreshed. By setting manageable hours and making room for downtime, you can avoid burnout and stay mentally sharp. This extra mental clarity lets you tackle work with a fresh perspective and makes problem-solving and creativity a lot easier—skills that are valuable in any career.

You may have noticed a renewed energy and motivation after a weekend. We aren’t machines; we need downtime!

Coaching is a great way to impact your work-life balance. It brings clarity, vision, and prevents burnout. As a coach, Jenny serves as a success partner, strategist, and personal advocate. She focuses on YOU and on being proactive.

Thriving Through Free Time

More free time opens doors to personal growth you might miss with a packed work schedule. Picking up a hobby, learning something new, or even just catching up on reading can have a big impact. These activities provide a refreshing counterbalance to work. They can actually make you better at your job by boosting your mental health and giving you a broader perspective.

Being well-rounded isn’t just rewarding; it also makes you better equipped to handle challenges in both work and life. It enriches your life. Especially hobbies you can share with others like music, art and dance.

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Boosting Career Prospects through Education

Earning a degree can be a game-changer for your career, leading to a less stressful, more fulfilling work life. Online degrees give you the flexibility to continue your education while balancing work and family.

Specializations like managerial accounting or learning a computer programming language offer skills that are in demand, equipping you for roles in structured, intellectually engaging fields. Continuing your education doesn’t just elevate your qualifications; it also helps you maintain a healthy balance between career and personal life.

Time Management: The Key to Balance

Good time management is a huge part of work-life balance. By organizing your tasks and setting priorities, you can keep work from creeping into your personal time. Setting realistic goals, focusing on priorities, and delegating where possible are all time-savers.

Mastering these skills means less wasted time and more productive work hours, leaving room for the rest and relaxation you need for a balanced life. Trainings like Jenny’s Make Time Your Ally workshop will help you sharpen these skills.

Avoiding Burnout to Boost Health

Keeping a work-life balance can reduce the risk of burnout, which is physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion from prolonged stress. Setting boundaries between work and personal time protects your health, allowing you to handle responsibilities on both fronts with a clear mind. Reducing burnout isn’t just about feeling better; it also boosts your productivity and helps you stay engaged with your work over the long haul.

Stay Focused with Regular Breaks

Regular breaks are essential to staying focused. When you balance work with downtime, you give your brain the rest it needs to recharge, which helps you stay sharp during work hours. This improved focus translates to higher productivity and better work quality, linking a balanced lifestyle directly to career success.

Work-life balance is the key to a happy and successful life. By making it a priority, you’ll boost your productivity, improve your health, and create time for personal growth. Recognize the benefits of a well-rounded lifestyle to avoid burnout and bring out your best in all areas. Managing your time effectively is what allows you to succeed both at work and at home.

Jenny completes her executive coaching ACC accreditation in January 2025. She is currently accepting clients who want to thrive!

Why is it so hard to say ‘No?’ Some Tips to make it Easier

I just have to crow about being ahead of the curve with my 8 ways to Say No blog in August.

Since then, Real Simple magazine featured the article ‘The Nicest way to say No’ on the September cover.  The same month, Kathie England taught ‘8 Ways to Say ‘No’ ‘ in her Time out for Success teleclass. Finally, Grants Pass radio station K-LOVE  aired a piece about saying ‘No.’

What is it about saying ‘No?’  Why is it so difficult for so many people, especially women?

Why Saying ‘No’ is so hard to do:

Reason 1:   You are unsure of your priorities

If your goals are clear and you know what needs to be accomplished today or this week, saying ‘No’ will be much easier.  However, if you have not planned the week and have only a vague idea what you need or want to accomplish,  you become vulnerable to outside requests for help.

Reason 2: Your fear of social awkwardness

A legitimate fear: it is much easier in the short term to say ‘Yes’ and have the asker be happy and grateful to you.  Nobody likes being told no.  See Tip #2 below!

Here are 3 tips to make it easier:       England shared from McKeown’s book:

  1. Separate the decision from the relationship. 

You are not saying no to the friendship, it doesn’t mean you don’t want to be friends anymore; it does mean you are unable to say yes to their request for your time, money, etc.  This requires validating the asker and, in some cases, explaining why it won’t be possible for you.

  1. Make your peace with the fact that saying “No” often requires trading popularity for respect.

People pleasers are the ones that often get in trouble by saying a reflexive “Yes.”  Women especially have trouble with this.  You want to be the teacher’s pet!  Only it’s not school, where you need to please the teacher for a good grade—it is life.  You don’t have to please the president of your networking group, the fundraiser, the PTA president, the principal, etc—you have your own priorities of family, work, your own interests.  Saying “yes” to everything will ensure you do not have time for yourself.  The end result will be burnout and resentment if you are neglecting your own needs to help others.

  1. Remember saying “No” can be more graceful than a noncommittal “Yes.”

Think about it.  Just because you like the person or you believe their cause is a good idea is not enough.  Maybe you would like to help, but deep down inside you know you don’t have time or energy to do it or have no intention of doing it.  It is much better to decline at the outset.  This way, you don’t set up false expectations.

When I was in college, I worked for a firm selling credit cards to people.  I was horrible at it, but one thing I learned: I would rather have a prospect interrupt with a “No” at the beginning of the call than listen to my whole pitch before saying no.  They wasted time for both parties.

The same applies to people asking for a favor.  If you say yes but don’t mean it, they are counting on you.  But if you back out or don’t follow through, they won’t know until the last minute and then they are in a bind.  That is when hard feelings are created.  It is much better to give a decisive ‘No’ at the outset to avoid setting up false expectations (their end), guilt (your end), and the fallout that will inevitably ensue.

So, armed with this new knowledge and motivation to be true to your own priorities, you will be able to say “No”!

How did this post help you? I would love to hear your story!

Kathie England’s website

Content from Kathie England’s teleclass is based on Essentialism by Greg McKeown.  

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