Work/life balance is the unicorn in every bedroom, kitchen, and desk of the modern working woman.

It is a term used indiscriminately that powerfully affects how we approach day-to-day tasks. How do we find it? Where is it hiding? Is it possibly beneath this desk I want to nap under? (No, it’s not there.)

Most Millennial women report that such a concept is a myth. Or at best, the out-of-key piano soundtrack to our lives that we can’t figure out how to tune. But work/life balance is no whisper campaign that effectively targeted and exploited a vulnerability-- even if it feels as such at times.

We all have the desire to buy into this concept as possible and the want to improve our quality of life. It makes sense that this groundhog day concept keeps appearing.

So how do we reconcile our relationship to work/life balance? How do we make quantitative decisions about what is right for us? How do we, as working women, scale balance?

Our friends at Origins created a new post-workout products that help us refresh after the gym and continue that zen a little longer, and it inspired us to nail down 4 keys ways that help us approach the elusive work/life balance.

REMOVE ONE APP RIGHT NOW!

In an almost astonishing way technology has changed the way we work. But it’s a double-edged sword because we’ve come to rely on said tech in ways that hinder our ability to balance.

If you know that the phone is an issue in your life stop relying on apps to solve all problems. Learn to rely on yourself again.

“Learn to rely on yourself again.”

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Remove one app from your phone right now that you rely too heavily on. You know what it is. It’s disguised as convenience, but has made you all the more entrenched in the work crunch. I.e. Food delivery apps that have made it all the more simple to order lunch straight to our desks. Delete it and walk to lunch tomorrow.

UNBLUR THE LINES BETWEEN WORK AND HOME  

One person’s approach should not be another’s. In fact balance is idiosyncratic. Create & Cultivate keynote Rachel Zoe said that when she’s at work, she’s present and when she’s with her kids, she’s present. Which means she’s not scrolling IG at the dinner table. There is separation in her life and it’s important to her well-being and productivity as an entrepreneur.

Create a routine that’s not about work.

INCORPORATE A WEEKLY WORKOUT INTO YOUR ROUTINE

Working out is one of the best motivators, confidence boosters and is proven to increase productivity. But while we often think about pre-workout-- which is often rushing from the office to a class-- and the benefits of the workout itself, there’s also a chance to slow down, and take that post workout high time for yourself. You don’t have to sprint from the gym home. Instead take a little extra “balance” time for yourself and try the following:

Post-sweat session use Origins Shower Off™ Exfoliating Body Wash, a refreshing post-workout scrub cleanser designed to refine and deeply purify the skin by removing perspiration and dirt. Likewise, Origins Warm Down™ Warming Lava scrub, a water-activated heating lava scrub addresses three key needs after a workout – it detoxifies and exfoliates skin, while also promoting relaxation for sore muscles. Activated in the shower, it warms up on contact to help comfort sore muscles, while volcanic ash deeply purifies skin by removing dirt, sweat and perspiration.

You should also take a moment to replenish the skin. An average person sweats the equivalent of two large sports bottles per hour during rigorous exercise. Which means your skin is losing moisture too. With Origins new Hit Refresh™ Cooling Moisturizer with Hawaiian Mineral Water, you’re instantly replenishes skin’s hydration post-workout.

These products leave skin smooth and refreshingly clean, while your brain and body feel balanced and calm.  

WHEN YOU GET HOME POST-WORKOUT, PUT YOUR PHONE IN A DIFFERENT ROOM

Check your email and answer anything pressing on the subway ride or walk home. Or if you commute, answer before you leave the gym.

You can make the choice to not let your work cross the threshold with you. When you arrive at home, place your phone in a different room. It’s a simple spatial barrier that will help you break a habit that is detrimental in your quest for W/L. (I.e. checking your email or Insta every five seconds while you enjoy an end of day glass of wine or cup of tea.)  

You should also put your phone in a different room when you finally hit the hay, that way you’re not checking your email or putting out fires FIRST thing in the morning.

Simple adjustments allow you to be proactive about your day, instead of reactive, and aid in your desire to find balance.

Simple adjustments allow you to be proactive about your day, instead of reactive, and aid in your desire to find balance.

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And remember: you get to day 500 of balance by starting with day one.