Are you so caught up in your day to day that you miss the fact you’re actually not enjoying life anymore? I’ve done this and not just with work – e.g. my job as mum, my job as a student, even non-paying jobs and my job of being in business.

Signs you don’t have a life outside of your work:

• Your calendar is filled with work appointments.
• Your every waking moment is centered on what you need to do for work.
• Your topic of conversation is limited to work – and often it’s the problems at work.
• Your wardrobe consists of work clothes – yes, I’ve been there.
• You don’t know what to do with yourself unless you’re working.
• Picking up the phone to be with friends becomes a challenge.
• Your health and well-being are affected eg poor diet (too busy), little exercise or even movement (I have to get this finished first).
• When you do go out everything’s changed and you wonder “When did that happen?”

Life is multi-faceted and exploring it all is what makes life rich, diverse and worth living.

Find life outside of your work:

• Have a switch off time – set yourself work hours and stick to them.
• Schedule other activities into your calendar – start with regular activities, e.g. add in things you enjoyed before work took over your life, book into a class activity of something you want to try – any activity not work related.
• Give your mind something else to think about – try meditation as a way to wind down and quieten your mind.
• With new activities, you’ll need to have other clothes in your wardrobe – that yoga class you want to try will be much easier to do in yoga pants than in your corporate skirt.
• By now you might find you have things to look forward to, other than work, which you probably weren’t looking forward to anyway.
• Reach out and connect with an old friend or a family member, find out what’s going on in their life.
• Put health higher on your priority list. Stop for meals, get up from your desk, enjoy the sunshine and the fresh air – small things can make a big difference.
• Get up to date with what’s going on in your local area, your country, the world.

Life goes on while you’re caught up in your world of work. The thing that happens though is that your life stops, your world shrinks, you become less. That’s not what life’s about. Start small and keep going. Bring back all of YOU with a balance of fun, friends, adventure, health, and work.

If work has become all consuming and you need support in bringing back the balance contact me to find out how working with a life coach can make the difference.