Had a lot on my plate lately, like many I suppose, trying to finish my thesis to some hard deadlines, working with my awesome clients, business, making time for my wife, and my training. The thought behind this blog was to say how I have managed to balance all of this, but to be honest at times I have not. There have been times when the stress and workload have been too much, my diet has not been great, and my training has had to drop off as the priority needed to be elsewhere.
But you know what? That’s ok, because this has been about getting my study finished as that is the culmination of some large changes in my life. And that is important to me. However, I have been able to manage this still, while trying to maintain a balance that works for now, so how have I done that?
Being flexible. We often think that there needs to be a set time, I hear “I need an hour to workout” all the time. But what I have done is even take a 15 to 30 minute break where I get in some light lifting or work on my injury rehab, even stretching or going for a walk. Taking breaks when my mind says enough is extremely important. It’s easy when I’m writing to go into a loop of trying to rewrite the same sentence for 20 minutes. It’s important to get up and move, and work on something else for a while.
The quality of sleep is more important than 8 hours of restless broken sleep. Your body needs that recovery.
For example, making the effort to get on my mountain bike, even if I know I have things to do, I also know that mountain biking is a happy space for me. Rest, sleep. The quality of sleep is more important than 8 hours of restless broken sleep. Your body needs that recovery.
Having people around you to touch base with this is a big thing for me, being able to joke, laugh, poke fun at some really good friends, and talk. This has helped me maintain my mental balance.
And probably the biggest thing is having a “what’s next”. This can be a tricky question to either ask yourself or have someone ask you. Having something ready to fill the void that WILL be left when you reach a goal is so important. I found that when I finished my degree a few years ago, I had no idea what was next as I had nothing planned study wise, for me to take that focus. My “what’s next” for when the pressure to finish the thesis comes off is two things. I will be able to work on my business with more focus, but for my physical and mental wellbeing my training to specific goals will kick back in. Have a ‘what’s next’. It makes a difference.
