Feeling overwhelmed by work-life balance?

Written/Human authored by Anne Brookes

How can you balance it all?

Or can we call it "worklife"? I playfully put the words together because anything that happens in life, we have to work for it or towards it...think of it as where you focus your energy.  

So paid work is just an aspect of your whole life.  We have unpaid work that is "the rest of our life".

How do you think about your "worklife"?

Do you value the unpaid aspects?

Do you identify solely as the job you do that is paid?

There is a significant part of the world's activities exploding with the idea that only your job matters - is this true?  Do you consider other things in your life to matter?

How can you balance it all?

HAVE A LOOK AT THIS 1 minute video Balancing Life and Work from my YouTube channel @canlasidelifecoach

If you need a nudge and guide, I'm here to help:Find out more about me

Keeping going over 60

Written/Human authored by Anne Brookes

Challenges most of us face once over 60 include:

Health: changes in physical and mental health can make overcoming obstacles more draining

Retirement: adjusting to a new routine and missing the structure of work can be demotivating

Loss: grieving loved ones or facing a change in living circumstances can drain energy and purpose

Ageism: societal messages about aging can make feeling down about challenges more likely

HOW CAN WE STAY MOTIVATED?

Ideas and inspiration:

Focus on progress, not perfection: celebrate small wins to maintain momentum 🎈

Find a purpose: volunteer, take up a new hobby, or reconnect with old passions

Stay connected: build a strong support network of friends, family, or online communities

Embrace lifelong learning: take courses, attend workshops, or read inspiring content 📖

Prioritize self-care: get enough sleep, eat healthily, and manage stress through exercise and /or relaxation techniques

Reframe challenges: view setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow 🖼️

Celebrate resilience: acknowledge how you've overcome challenges in the past

Focus on strengths: recognize the skills and experience gained over a lifetime

Maintain a positive attitude: gratitude and optimism can fuel motivation 🚀

If you're finding some of the above hard to do, find connection in your network of friends, family, or via online communities.

🦋 Remember it can give immediate relief to seek professional help - set up a session to talk with a life coach, or for more deep seated issues in your past, a therapist for guidance and support.

Have a look at THIS article - How to navigate a life transition at any age

Working from home or running a business at home with deadlines to meet: how to stay well (physically and mentally)

written by Anne Brookes, Canalside Life Coach

Make time for yourself when you have a busy schedule

🟡 try to have at least one day or two half days when you do something FUN and relaxing in a very different way from the business activities. You need to recharge the batteries

🔋

🟦 have a clear mandate that your health is the number one priority – if you are ill or tired mentally, you will have diminishing returns on concentration, focus and energy – you must invest in yourself first

🥇

Techniques for combating loneliness and that feeling of doing it all alone

🔴 use co-working spaces one day a week/fortnight/month, however it fits your calendar. Find one that suits your style – it needs to be welcoming, with like-minded people who will be positive and respectful of your need to balance work with in-person connections.

Then wait for friendships to begin to flourish as you share highs and lows of everyday life

🎁

🟩 co-work ONLINE with a “buddy” – put a shoutout on LinkedIn or your prefered platform - there are many people in the same situation.

A "coffee chat" online first establishes that you feel comfortable and can agree parameters about how you use your time together - best to be upfront about possible interuptions or whether you like music in the background....really basic ground rules so that there are no disappointments.

As an example - have a quick chat about how you are for 10 minutes. Then have bursts of concentrated work for the rhythm of time that works for you on that day, as well as agreed slots of time to check in with each other

Have a break and have a drink

🫖 ☕ 🍹

then it's back to focused work when refreshed - and often this is a useful discipline to learn - your buddy will keep you from being distracted.

After your session time, feed back to each other and share the reality. You may feel frustrated, the other person could have cracked a problem and that gives you a boost – sharing the pains and the gains helps it become less negative and personal if you've had a bad day!

Unleash the positive impact of nature AND microbreaks

🟡 getting outside for light and air! Wherever you are, and if you can, engage with green space/nature in some way

🔺🔻 microbreaks – getting up from a desk and physically moving

Resources

✴️ My YouTube playlist Coping skills for well-being: https://www.youtube.com/@canalsidelifecoach/playlists

My Guide to Dealing with stress

📖 Read this article on 7 types of rest

▶️ Watch my 1 minute video Balancing Life and Work on my YouTube channel - please subscribe, thank you :) 🌹

🔴 Use Pomodoro as a time management technique

🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Microbreak resource: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breakthru-immersive-microbreaks

I contributed to an article "Wellbeing tips for small business owners and lone workers"

Published: 04 June 2025 on the BGWM website