I wish that I could take credit for the brilliance of the following article. Alas, I can not. I can tell you that the practices mentioned here will bring peace to your life. Who can’t use some of that?

Get the kids ready for school. Pack lunches. Get yourself ready. Do banking on lunch break. Rush to supermarket before rushing home to cook, clean, do laundry, get kids ready for bed
and fall into bed yourself. It’s no wonder that the blurry line between the end of the workday and the beginning of the business of life can be overwhelming. And because fatigue and stress contribute to injury and illness, achieving a balance is a workplace safety strategy.

SPELL IT OUT
Some people seem to have limitless energy, both mentally and physically — and take everything in their stride. But others seem to backslide rather than stride. If you wish there
were more hours in the day, maybe it’s time for a reality check.  “It’s not about doing more in less time, but about doing more important things in the time we have,” says Kendrith Bentley, a corporate health promotion, fitness and wellness consultant.

Bentley says it all comes down to one word: balance.

B is for bringing balance to your life.
A is for allowing others to share the load.
L is for letting go of unrealistic expectations.
A is for acting upon your goals and priorities.
N is for “no” – an effective word when your plate is too full.
C is for communicating effectively to strengthen your relationships.
E is for expecting and planning for the unexpected.

According to Bentley, “To sustain performance, we must balance energy expenditure with energy renewal.”

Signs Your Life is IN BALANCE

• You feel a sense of control over your life and living conditions
• You feel lively and full of energy
• You are able to do things you enjoy
• You have a sense of purpose in life
• You experience a sense of connectedness to your community
• You have good social relationships

Signs Your Life is OUT OF BALANCE

• You miss appointments
• You’re late for meetings
• You have trouble sleeping
• You eat too little or too much
• You are argumentative and grumpy
• You tend to forget things
• You are sensitive and cry easily or are quick to anger
• You don’t find much joy in activities
• You feel you are constantly trying to catch up

RESTORE BALANCE
If you aren’t able to sort tasks in order of priority and let go of what’s really not important, you probably have some balance issues. Bentley offers these 10 tips for keeping balance in
your work and family life:

1. Avoid ‘energy vampires’ – people or things that suck the energy out of you. “Don’t get sucked into the vortex of other people’s busy-ness.”
2. Give 100 percent attention to one task at a time, rather than 20 percent attention to five tasks simultaneously.
3. Try to hang around positive, energetic people. Let their zest for living rub off on you.
4. Work on setting personal limits for both work and home and stick to them.
5. Set priorities. Look at what really needs to be done now and what can wait.
6. Don’t be a perfectionist. Is it really worth staying up until 1 a.m. getting everything perfect for guests who may not even notice anything except for the dark circles under your eyes?
7. Take time for yourself. Get up before anyone else and go for a walk, read or enjoy a cup of coffee.
8. Keep work at work. Some people check their work emails from home at 10:30 p.m. Hopefully you’re not one of them. Develop and nurture supportive social relationships at work and at home.
9. If you’ve been too “busy” to see good friends, pick up the phone and arrange to see them.
10. You’re doing the supper dishes again while your teenage kids are flopped in front of the TV or computer. What’s wrong with this picture? Get them to help you.

LEARN TO SAY ‘NO’
If someone blindsides you with an unexpected request, such as chairing a committee when you don’t have enough time, Bentley says it’s important to say: “Sorry. I don’t have time in
my schedule. I can’t do that.” If you say ‘no’ to activities that should not be priorities, you’ll have time to say ‘yes’ to what is important, whether it’s getting some stress-relieving exercise, spending fun time with your children or having a date night with your spouse.

Although I didn’t write this article, I will say that I agree with it. Completely.