March is over. What did I learn? Dr Seuss was right - life is a great balancing act.
The past month has disappeared before my eyes - not that i'm complaining - April is my favourite month of the year. The evenings are brighter, the daffodils are out and it's my birthday. However, March wasn't bad, I focused on getting the right balance in my life which has helped with my mental wellbeing during what could have been a very stressful few weeks - interviews, illness and project deadlines.
A good balance for me is finding control of internal factors (my mind and health) and external factors (work, socialising and fun). To ensure that I don't let a stressful time get me down and take control of my happiness, I incorporate all the factors above into my weekly planner. If i don't, then I will suffer - getting bogged down by the stresses any young professional faces in the City.
As a society, our lives are jam-packed and it can often feel impossible to have headspace. It's possible. I've listed below a few things that have helped me this month to find balance when things were, at some points, feeling a little tense:
Leave work at work
I've started to leave my blackberry at work. I can respond to an email late at night to show i've read it but 99% of the time I can't action it. This isn't slacking - in fact, if i get to work at 8:45 and read my emails before 9 and action them in working hours - this is far more productive than reading it at night and having to read it again first thing. So, leave blackberry and laptop at work and a lot of stress is eliminated. I spend over 9 hours a day at work but I need some 'me time' to recuperate!
Weekly treat
Once a week, I buy myself a treat. Not anything expensive or super materialistic (I keep it to under £5), but something small to cheer me up. This month I treated myself on a Friday, they included; the new honey-blossom macchiato from Starbucks, a new lipstick, a colourful bunch of flowers, a lush bathbomb and a new notepad. This idea has definitely curbed by shopping addiction!
Flowers and new nails
Bath bomb and candle = ultimate relaxation
I love nothing more than reading a good book. I've started reading 'The Mistake I Made' after falling victim to the billboard advertisements on the tube. I'll write a review once i've finished it - it's worth the energy - I can't put it down. So much so that I'm looking forward to my hour commute tomorrow morning to read a few more chapters.
Travel
I went to Manchester to visit my brother and his wife. It may not be a million miles away but I had a lovely weekend - a northern chippy, copious amounts of prosecco and a manicure resulted in a wonderful weekend. I've also started planning my 2017 holiday to South America - hiking to Machu Picchu has always featured on my bucket list so i'm excited this is finally in the pipeline!
Meal out - delish!
Plan, plan, plan!
This month I made a plan. A list of what I wanted to achieve at work, what I want to achieve outside of work and what I would do if I got an unexpected bout of the blues. I also documented my career goals to help me stay focused and motivated when I feel swamped with never-ending projects. Nothing feels better than ticking of your to-do list and seeing how much you've achieved when you look back.
Make a plan, follow it for a month and it will become habitual- you'll feel balanced, motivated and satisfied. Trust me!
What helps you find balance in your life?
Annabel x
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