~by Samantha Afanador~
The Never Ending Rat Race … or so we thought!
Is it Possible to Find Work/Life Balance in a Never Ending Rat Race?
I have perfected the work/life balance. If you believe that then I will tell you another one! As a professional therapist, mother of two and business owner, I have had my share of challenges over the years when it comes to the work/life balance conundrum. I have been working full time and in school for most of my children’s lives. I will be honest, my Master’s program at Walden University almost did me in. I was working full time at a high burn-out job (Child Protective Services…yikes), doing 20 hours of field practicum, two end-level courses and studying for my board exam. Oh, I was also being a mommy, wife, sister, aunt, friend, good neighbor and everything else a woman warrior like myself could be. Does this feel familiar to you? Doing a hundred million things at once, finally getting everyone in bed only to have your significant other remind you that your “work” is not yet done.
Managing the everyday roles that we placate during any given day can become quite overwhelming. We stop doing our hair, makeup gets put on in the car on the way to work, which by the way is NOT recommended, and we wear mismatched socks and our shirts inside out and backwards. Yep, most of us have done that before! What we lose while we are trying to be a woman warrior can be precious. We lose out on the very important task of being mindful and purposeful in our lives. So what does that mean for us overwhelmed women workers?
Mindfulness is the act of intentional and non-judgmental focus on emotions, thoughts and sensations in the present moment.
The act of being purposeful can mean that we are intentionally doing what we do with determination and is full of meaning.
Here are some tips that may become helpful as we begin down the journey to a better work/life balance:
- Set aside 10-15 minutes each day to just “be” without distractions (I know, I know, not even the bathroom is sacred anymore).
- Wake up every morning and spend 5 minutes in bed sending grateful energy out into the world. We need to be grateful for all of the things in our lives. I once saw a great saying that said, “Thank Goodness for the dirty dishes”. That left me pondering this and then I continued to read, “at least you had food to put on the dishes”.
- Set personal goals every week. These goals can be done in the form of the most dreaded “to-do lists” or another format that works for you. Research has shown that information is often better processed when it is written down on a piece of paper (not typed into a computer or texted to yourself or any other things close to that!)
- Start a stress management plan. We need to learn how to manage our stress in a healthy manner so as to deter the unsurmountable problems that can occur with an abundance of stress.
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Meet the Author: Samantha Afanador
Samantha Afanador
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Samantha is a Master’s level mental health counselor, and nationally accredited through the National Board of Certified Counselors. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional along with being a certified life & business coach.
Her background stems from her love and passion for helping others. As a teenager, she volunteered in other countries to help those who were poverty-stricken and left without a voice.
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To learn more about how counseling/psychotherapy services can help you, please contact her:
- Email: Samantha@peakprofessionalgroup.com
- Website: www.peakprofessionalgroup.com
