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Forget Work-Life Balance and Aim for Integration

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Being a successful businesswoman in today's world often means that you have to be able to impeccably juggle your work and life obligations and duties. And dropping even one ball can lead to a whole bunch of problems. In recent years, we have read about and talked about finding the work-life balance, that seemingly intangible line where you can achieve great success at your job and at the same time be able to raise your kids, keep an immaculate household and somehow get to the gym on the daily basis. Exhausting, isn’t it? So why did something that was meant to make our lives easier end up being so painstakingly difficult to achieve. Well, because it was never about finding the balance, it was about integration. To learn more on how integration can help you achieve your goals and lead a happy life continue reading this article.

Are you exhausted?

Balancing two or three different aspects of your life can get quite stressful and exhausting. In a recent interview, the successful author and entrepreneur Arianna Huffington stated that she, herself, had collapse of exhaustion and burnout in 2007, and that is when she realised that she needs to put herself first. If you are exhausted you are unable to be productive at work nor can you be present in your family life, and not to mention the fact that your overall health is suffering. So the first step is to stop, take a moment, and clear out your schedule so that you can make room for yourself. Whether it’s meditation, reading or simply taking a breather in a local park, you need your me-time to stay focused, manage the stress and stay on top of everything. And the one thing that Mrs Huffington also stated, is that by taking the time for herself she was actually able to become more productive and efficient, and more importantly happier and healthier. After all that is our goal.

Delegate

When we talk about integration, it is important to understand that you don't have to keep your work and life separate. For example, having a stressful day at work and then pretending like everything is ok at home is not the answer. You need to work through your emotions on all fronts. And this is why it is vital for you to learn how to delegate and rely on others. The one thing most women find hard is accepting that they cannot do it all alone. But if you want to stay healthy this is something you need to accept. So start from some activities that you know are better left to professionals. For example, a lot of Australian womenpreneurs have come to rely on quality tutoring in Sydney for their kids. They can delegate that part to professional tutors who can help their kids achieve great academic results. You can do the same at work too. See what part of your daily schedule you can delegate to your trusted employees. That way you can focus on the more important matters at hand without spreading your productivity and concentration too thin.

Communication is essential

For a successful work-life integration communication is key. You need to be able to voice how you are feeling, to explain what type of help you need and more importantly to let yourself express emotions regarding the stressful parts of your daily life. Having quality communication within your company, and your family unit will allow you to do the whole process of integration much more efficiently. Keeping your emotions to yourself was seen in the past as a sign of strength, back when women were trying to be more like men. But now, having emotions and opinions and stating them is not considered a weakness, it is a strength and we as women need to own it, only then will we be able to lead a fulfilled and healthy life that we deserve.

Now, as you have seen throughout this article the most important part of achieving work-life integration is being able to own both parts, and to let them spill one onto another. But even more importantly you need to make room in your life for yourself. However strange this might sound, but we often forget ourselves, forget about taking care of our physical and mental health just because we are trying do everything to the best of our abilities. But how can you do your best if you're not feeling your best, if you are too tired or stressed to focus or stay productive. So ladies, if there is anything you are going to take a way from this article it is to put yourself first, then, and only then will you be the womenpreneur mother and women you know you can be.

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