by Ann E. Smith

Created on: April 24, 2008   Last Updated: October 25, 2010

Moderation is important in life, especially when it comes to dividing time between work and personal life. In a world in which technologies give others immediate access to you 24 hours a day, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the much-needed work-life balance. The expectation is for you to be available during increasingly extended blocks of time. As a result, there are increasing numbers of over-stimulated people who send, receive, analyze and manage hundreds of interactions and pieces of information daily.

In order to avoid total burnout or unmanageable stress in the fast-paced business world of today, it is crucial to draw some boundaries and create a work-life balance that is right for you. It's vital for optimal mental, physical and spiritual health.

First, to be at your best mentally, you need some downtime. It's just that simple. Your mind is a powerful but fragile, thing. Overworking your mind will eventually lead to problems. These problems often show up in the form of anxiety, depression or irrational thinking.

As far as your physical health, your best way to achieve some balance is to carve out time for routine workouts. No matter how busy you are, you can find the time if you make exercising a priority. It may require getting up an hour earlier, or adjusting your work day down by an hour. There are ways to to fit exercise into your schedule, and the benefits are tremendous. Not only will this provide more balance in your daily routine, but frequent exercise will reduce stress.

Your spiritual health is important, too, and spiritual fitness also requires discipline and prioritizing. Many make time to read a devotional first thing in the morning before they look at a Blackberry or computer. Thousands dedicate Sunday mornings to worship and fellowship. Others meet for breakfast Bible studies with business people.

To develop all aspects of your life, you must find that balance between work and living. And another obvious reason work-life balance is essential is for the health of your relationships. Relationships are key to the quality of your life, yet they require attention and maintenance. Success in your career may be your goal, but you will not really enjoy it if you miss being a part of your children's lives and later find yourself filled with regrets.

As in most things, balance is something to strive for in various ways. The sooner you can find some semblance of balance as it applies to your career and personal goals, the better the quality of life will be for you and for people in your life.

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