How a coach can help you truly balance work and private life
|
|
Leesduur: 5 min
You're ambitious, full of ideas, and your business is growing. But at the same time, it feels like you're always playing catch-up. Because when you get home, you really want to be there. For your partner, your children, your friends.
And that doesn't always work. Your mind is full, your body is tired, and those around you notice you're not fully focused.
Sound familiar? When your work and personal life become unbalanced, you'll eventually notice it everywhere: in your energy, your mood, your health, but also in your results at work. Think persistent fatigue, irritability, or even burnout.
And it creeps in. An extra project here, an evening of work there, and before you know it, you've lost yourself a bit. I know that feeling all too well. I often thought, "If I just finish this, peace will come." But that peace rarely came.
A coach might be exactly what you need. Not to become even more efficient, but to help you get back to what works for you. So you can make choices that align with who you are and benefit your energy, peace of mind, and health.
Coach helps you make conscious choices for more energy, peace and health, so that work and private life are better balanced.
Six coaching themes: discovering values, setting boundaries, creating agenda space, breaking patterns, finding rhythm and strengthening self-confidence.
Get started right away: take stock of your energy givers/energy drains, schedule a daily break as an appointment and consciously say no once.
More peace of mind with a personal coach
A coach observes with you, asks questions you might prefer to avoid, and helps you honestly examine what you're doing. Not just in terms of planning or time management, but also in the way you make choices.
When I started working with a coach, I realized how much I was operating on autopilot. Simply articulating what was important to me gave me a sense of relief. But also control. I felt much stronger because I was making conscious choices. I became calmer and much happier.
How does that apply to you? Does that busy schedule still suit who you are now? Or are you mostly operating on routine? By clarifying these questions, you create space. For clarity, for boundaries, for choices that truly suit you.
This not only brings peace of mind, but also more energy and satisfaction in what you do. And the best part is: you'll notice this not only at home, but also at work. Because when you feel better about yourself, you automatically perform better.
How a coach can help you: 6 Ways to regain control
A coach doesn't help you to work even harder, but to live and work more consciously.
These six themes form the core of personal coaching when it comes to work-life balance:
- Discover what's truly important to you - What are your values? What do you want to focus on? A coach helps you clarify what matters to you, so you make choices that align with those values, rather than what's expected or required of you.
- Setting boundaries and learning to say no - Saying no isn't a weakness, but a way to protect your energy. A coach will teach you how to say no without guilt and let you experience the freedom it creates.
- Creating space in your schedule (including for rest) - Coaching teaches you to plan not only your work, but also breaks, recovery time, and family time. This way, you avoid constantly lagging behind.
- Gain insight into your patterns - Why do you keep pushing yourself beyond your limits? A coach helps you recognize patterns that no longer work for you and supports you in changing them.
- Finding a rhythm that feels good (mentally and physically) - A healthy rhythm goes beyond time management. It's about how you feel about your work, your body, and your mind. Once that's right again, balance will naturally follow.
- Gain more confidence in your choices - Many people constantly wonder: Am I doing it right? Am I making the right choice? A coach can help you become more confident in your choices, with more focus and confidence.
Give yourself more peace of mind with a personal coach
Do you feel like things need to change? Then this is the time to consciously make room for it. You don't have to do it alone.
A coach helps you choose a direction that truly suits you. Step by step, without judgment. For a life that's not only full, but also fulfilling and healthy.
3 tips to start with today
Want to make some changes yourself? These small steps will get you started right away:
- Tip 1 – Identify your energy givers and drains - Write down what energized you last week and what needed to recharge. This will immediately give you insight into where things are struggling.
- Tip 2 – Schedule breaks like you schedule an appointment - Give yourself at least one moment every day that's truly for you. Mark it in your calendar and protect it as if it were an important meeting.
- Tip 3 – Consciously say "no" once this week - Choose a request you'd normally automatically say yes to, and practice politely but firmly refusing. This way, you'll immediately experience how much freedom this can create.
What does science say about coaching?
That coaching really works is also evident from scientific research. Tim Theeboom of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam analyzed dozens of studies on coaching in work environments in a large-scale meta-analysis (2013). (1)
His conclusion? Coaching has a significant positive effect on:
- Performance
- Wellbeing
- Coping with stress
- Work attitude
- The ability to make purposeful choices
The latter, in particular, goal-oriented self-regulation, showed the strongest effect. Precisely the kind of inner guidance needed to restore work-life balance.
Finally
Balance isn't an end point, but something you can continually adjust. For me, it's become a recurring process, and sometimes I still need someone to check in with me.
A coach helps you stop postponing those questions. So you can regain control of your time, your choices, and your energy.
Because life isn't about doing everything right at once, but about consciously choosing the balance that's right for you.
Ebrina van der Bijl
Ebrina is a nutritionist with a deep commitment to healthy eating and a sustainable lifestyle, based in beautiful Portugal. Her passion for natural and organic products is at the heart of her work. With a background in Nutrition & Dietetics and experience in product development and writing, she translates complex scientific information into practical advice for a balanced lifestyle.
Sources used
- Theeboom, T., Beersma, B., & Van Vianen, AE (2013). Does coaching work? A meta-analysis on the effects of coaching on individual level outcomes in an organizational context. The Journal Of Positive Psychology, 9(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.837499
