How to Find a Balance Between Action and Rest in Your Daily Life

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we live in a society that embraces and celebrates the hustle culture (meaning working looong hours, not taking as many breaks as you should, and putting your work ahead of everything else). I can see the ‘positive’ parts of hustle culture: the constant pursuit of productivity, success, and self-improvement. But you don’t actually have to be in a constant state of work in order to get these benefits (and you can actually achieve the same effect by finding a balance).

Today, we’re going to break down how to achieve a sense of ease and flow without having to sacrifice personal growth. Get cozy, grab something to take notes with, and let’s go!

Tip 1: Take breaks!

Okay, I know we’re starting off with a really obvious one, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s true. Have you ever gotten so involved in something you were working on that you didn't get up to eat? Or felt exhausted with a task, but kept plowing through because you had to get it done even though you could barely think?

In these cases, simply taking a quick break to move, eat, and just not think can be so impactful. When you’re nourished, you can do better work. When you have some space from a task or project, you can come back to it renewed and with a new perspective.

(Oh, and getting up and moving around periodically is just good for you. It can get exhausting sitting too much.)

Tip 2: Prioritize self-care!

Another classic tip for maintaining balance: taking care of yourself! Don’t cut corners when it comes to self-care. This time can be a source of renewal and stress relief that helps you find your center again. And the best part of this is that it could look different for everyone or depending on the day.

Maybe on days when you’re full of energy, you start (or end) your day with outdoor yoga, an elaborate skincare routine, and a relaxing bath or shower. Maybe on other days, that all feels like a lot of work and you want to just relax, so you do the ‘must-haves’ and then just read or draw or do something that’s low effort but that rejuvenates your soul.

Whatever the case, make sure you make time for at least some self-care, even if it’s not super elaborate. Find what works for you and make time for something self-care related every day.

Tip 3: When you’re off, be OFF!

That means turning off work notifications, letting clients wait until the following morning or after the weekend before you complete work or respond to messages, and not working on work tasks when you should be relaxing and unwinding.

Tip 4: Do something you love!

When you get caught up with work, you might stop having hobbies or doing things that are fun for you. When you’re not doing anything that feels fun just because you want to and are only fulfilling obligations, you could lose motivation and get closer to burnout faster.

Take some time to figure out what you actually like to do. Do you like to read? Write? Dance? Paint? Is it fun for you to go to a movie theater or get involved in your community? Whatever it is, figure out what really makes you happy and what you think is fun. Then, plan some time for you to go out and HAVE FUN!

Tip 5: Listen to your body!

I am a huge believer in intuition. We know ourselves better than anyone or anything else, and as long as we stay open to and aware of it, we know when we’re reaching our limit. I feel like sometimes when we get burnt out, we actually might not be listening to our bodies when they tell us that they need a break.

Burnout can definitely sneak up on you, but trying to trust your intuition and being aware of some early signs of burnout can help. Take a moment or two to listen to your body. If you notice yourself getting more worn down or feeling disinterested or overwhelmed, give yourself some time to take a break and reset. If you keep working through burnout, you’ll likely just make it worse and have a harder time getting un-stuck.

Tip 6: Plan your time!

Okay, this one is a big one: plan your time! If you can’t just spontaneously maintain a work-life balance, it may be beneficial to plan out blocks for breaks, self-care, and fun. It can also be helpful to get really specific on what you want to do with your week. Is this the week you want to focus on reviewing your finances? Plan that out and attach one short term goal to the week relating to that. Maybe you have 5 big tasks on the to-do list that you have to get done. Prioritize those and then let yourself relax on your off days. You can space things out a little bit.

Find a planning formula that works for you, but try planning your week and seeing how it can shift your energy and give you a more balanced life. Just remember to include all of the ‘life’ things on your schedule, and not just the ‘work’ stuff.

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Any of these shifts can make a huge impact on your work-life balance, but using them all together can especially be truly transformative. Take some time to decide what feels most aligned with you and put them into practice this week. Allow yourself to experience and play with things and find what works.

I hope this was helpful for you! Feel free to reach out with any questions, suggestions, or results you get from this advice! I love hearing from you! Until next time!