***Back To School And Balance

The back to school season is in full swing and with it comes even more issues regarding work/life balance. It’s tempting to get really stressed this time of year, adjusting to a new schedule after the relaxing summer. And, as we all know, that stress is going to be increased once the holidays arrive and suddenly there are even more things to balance.

A golden opportunity

Okay, you’re facing all this stress with more to come in a few months. How can this be a golden opportunity?

First, let’s take a step back. The #1 thing you need to know is that there is no such thing as work/life balance or even a ‘back to school’ balance. Such terminology is a myth created by the media and other powers to be explain away the modern world we live in. Unfortunately, the reason the term is a myth is because it approaches work/life balance from an intellectual standpoint – you ‘think’ you can achieve a balance yet may or may not understand yourself. It’s like saying, “I’m going to win the lottery tonight” and expect it to happen.

So, why is this a golden opportunity?

We are living a truly new era of humanity (how is that for a dramatic term?), one in which the universe simply isn’t going to let you get away with things anymore. In the old days people could repress things such as dealing with all the stress from trying to achieve a work/life balance. Yes, you would suffer but you could still carry on.

These days the universe is going to ultimately bring you to a complete stop unless you are one with yourself, living your life in true alignment with who you are. Of course, if you’re like me you say you’re going to do something and then try to avoid it, lol. That’s why back to school is such a great time.

Back to school forces you to look at your life immediately. You have to manage your home life, manage your work life, and then try to balance that all with all the back to school issues like shopping, new schedules, new activities, etc. You simply can’t ‘think’ your way out of the stress, especially if you’re dealing with small children who literally have a mind of their own on every topic and issue!
Therefore, here is the opportunity the universe is giving you:

1. Remove any notion that you can achieve a work/life/back to school balance intellectually, by ‘saying’ it can happen like saying you’re going to win the lottery
2.  Start looking at your life, how you work and operate. Be honest, how you REALLY approach things. For example, I personally hate long commutes so could never achieve a balance if I had to sit in a car for hours
3. Be selfish! If you don’t take care of yourself FIRST you can’t ‘balance’ your life with others, especially children. That means if you’re too tired come Thursday or Friday night don’t schedule anything, even doing ‘non stress’ things like laundry, on those nights.

While this article is brief I have tried to give you the core of the work/life balance issue from a realistic standpoint. Like everything in life, it truly starts with you. You are unique, so what works for your coworkers or fellow parents may or may not work for you. There is, and never should be, any guilt involved since what you are doing is for the ‘greater good’. After all, if you not stressed, your partner and children are going to be stressed either.
Everything will be in balance!