Balancing Work and Life for the Modern Woman

It's hard to believe that there was once a time when women were expected to be the primary caretakers in the household. Now it has become common for women to have successful careers and to have a home that looks like it came out of a page from Better Homes and Gardens. With the growing pressures of today's world, women are starting to feel the pressure of juggling everything and making it look effortless. Many women are struggling to create a balance between spending a few hours at work and taking time to enjoy their personal lives and spend more time at home. With the bad economy and layoffs and cut hours many women are scared to jeopardize their jobs and feel committed to working more hours. Even if you don't have control over how many hours you have to work there are other ways to find balance, peace, and sanity.

Plan fun time. It's easy to get sucked into working more hours and to dismiss fun activities. However, being proactive about scheduling relaxing activities is just as essential as scheduling your work life. Take a look at your life and all the activities and determine which ones make you happiest. If that's going to see a movie with an old friend, planning a date with your spouse, or making a soccer game it is important to engage in activities that release stress and make you happy. If there are any activities that sap energy or are draining in any way find a way to get out of them and plan something that will ensure making you happy.

Wake up earlier. Most people get up and go straight to work. Individuals that wake up earlier in the morning before going to work feel more fulfilled and like they are able to accomplish more in a day. One can exercise, meditate, or just spend time breathing in the fresh morning air.

Be healthy. This is something that we all hear a lot but don't always follow. A combination of regular exercise and a healthy diet goes a long way or elevating moods, sustain energy, and help with focus.

Work less hours. With the bad economy some companies are actually welcoming less hours and furloughed days. Many individuals are telecommuting or leaving earlier one day a week. This is a great opportunity to spend more time with your family, get that pedicure, or just relax at home more.

If you find that that you are still struggling with balancing your work life a life coach can help you determine ways to manage your time so that work and home life can coexist peacefully. Sometimes working with a personal life coach can help quiet the inner critic that doesn't want to take breaks. Life coaching sessions can help women figure out the added responsibilities of having more to do so that life can be a little more enjoyable and more fun.