Balance is important in many areas of our life, but the balance between work and rest is an especially tricky one, often because many of us don’t feel we have as much control over this as we might like. Maybe we can’t get employment, or the employment do have demands more of us than we would like.

It’s important however to find ways of gaining more control over this, and making choices that protect our wellbeing.

Both rest and work can leave us lacking in energy if we don’t get the balance right. In both and work and rest, we need to find the things that allow us to be ourselves the most.

Work can give a sense of purpose, achievement and satisfaction, all things that are good for our wellbeing. If we aren’t in paid employment, we’ll need to find this in different ways, maybe through volunteering, caring for others or working on little projects.

If our work is too demanding, it can leave us feeling like we don’t have enough time or energy to do things that we need or want to do for ourselves. Gaining balance will involve us making sure we carve out and protect time that gives us a chance to do the things that bring us life and energy. This may involve us setting limits and boundaries.   

They key thing is to work out what a healthy balance between work and rest is right for you. Then we need to make good decisions about how we’re going to put in place limits and boundaries that help us get more balance. This starts with us taking a bit of time to stop and reflect. Here are some questions you might want to give yourself some time to reflect on:

• I wonder when and where and what was I doing when I felt most energised this week?

• I wonder what activities this week made me feel good?

• I wonder what activities this week made me feel purposeful?

• I wonder what activities this week made me feel most like me?

• I wonder when and where and what was I doing when I felt most drained this week?

Try this

Draw yourself a circle. Use 3 different colours to shade in the circle to show the following in an ‘average week’ for you at the moment:

• how much of your time you think you spend doing things that drain or tire you?

• how much of your time you think you spend doing things that energise you, make you feel good?

• how much of your time do you think you spend doing things that neither drain or energise you; the things that are neutral?

Then take some time to look at what you’ve created and consider the balance.

Ask yourself

• I wonder if this is this balanced enough?

• I wonder what one thing you might do bring a bit more balance in the coming week?

• I wonder what boundaries you need to set for work or rest?

Come back to your circles again in a week’s time and see if you have any new insight or if noticing this has helped you re-balance a little more.