A recent podcast discussed how many of us are trapped in the ‘cult’ of busyness, zealots to our To Do lists, ‘worshiping at the alter’ of productivity. This use of language struck me because it illuminates how often we equate busyness as a path to worthiness, which can be a treacherous cross to bear. Danielle Colley explores how a simple chocolate bar inspired a balanced life philosophy, offering practical tips to harmonize work, rest, and play for a more fulfilling existence.”
At a particularly busy and stressful time of my life, a chance conversation made me reassess how I approached my own relentless busyness and the competing priorities which pull us asunder.
“You need your life to be more like a Mars Bar. You need to find the balance of work, rest and play,” this wise person said to me, referencing the chocolate bar jingle from my youth.
This inspired a philosophy for living a more holistic and balanced life, which is relevant for anyone who wants to take control of their time, reduce stress levels and stop feeding the beast of burnout.
Balance is made from the ingredients in your life
I realised the three ingredients of this famous chocolate bar are the necessary elements for a contented life. The nougat represented work, caramel became rest and chocolate represents play. The nougat, caramel and chocolate are not delivered in equal measures in the chocolate bar, however, when you take a bite, all elements are discernible, and the flavour is a harmonious symphony in your mouth. When your life has these elements of work, rest and play present in any ratio, your life can feel more delicious.
Ursula Phillips was biting off enormous mouthfuls of life. Sitting in the executive team in a large company, a busy mum and wife, her life was full. It consisted mainly of two things – work and home.
“I had a global role which included lots of travel. I had two settings (work and home,) but always ‘on.’ The busyness didn’t bother me so much however I realised the lack of time spent on rest and play meant that I was tired and probably, quite cranky,” Ursula said.
Ursula sought coaching support when she was succeeding career-wise, but for many reasons it didn’t feel how she imagined it would. When she discovered this tasty new way of thinking about her schedule, it allowed something to shift.
“I loved the Chocolate Bar Life idea instantly and still do. It really resonated with me. The magic for me was that it made me think about how I spent my time. I realised that rest was almost non-existent and that the things I was classing as play weren’t play at all. As mums – as women – we tend to class any alone time as both rest and play, but often it’s neither,” says Ursula.
Creating your delicious life
The crux of modelling your life on this chocolate bar, is firstly recognising that career success is only a small part of a successful life. Holistic, or ‘whole life’ success ensures your emotional and physical wellbeing are prioritised daily, time to enjoy activities which bring you pleasure are factored in regularly, and managing your stress is not an afterthought.
This is achieved by ascertaining what qualifies for you as rest or play activities. While sleep is a key part of overall wellbeing, in this context you’re looking at rest as a restorative activity. This could be anything from 30 seconds of mindful breathing, or two minutes of stretching, to 10 minutes of intentional downtime in your otherwise full day. Peppering these ‘pops’ of rest throughout your day helps to reset your nervous system bringing down your stress levels and helping to sustain your energy.
As for play, what do adults do for fun? Often, we find that as responsibilities grow, play diminishes. When asked about what they do for pleasure outside of work, many people will mention exercise. While it’s certainly excellent health practice, unless you truly find it enjoyable and fun, it’s likely you could bag it and tag it in your ‘work’ pile. The invitation is to uncover what you find fun or rediscover something you let go as life became too busy. It could be a creative pursuit, a team activity, something you’ve always been curious about or something you loved to do as a child.
There is no perfect chocolate bar
To ensure these things are prioritised, factor them into your diary like other important things you don’t want to miss but remember that there is no perfect when it comes to balance. Every week will be different, and that’s ok.
The key to living your most balanced life is how prioritise your time and the energy with which you approach your life. Once you realise the power is in your hands, the proof is then in the pudding. Or chocolate bar, as the case may be.
5 tips for crafting a balanced and enjoyable life
- Create a list of activities which you find restorative for your energy.
- Ensure they range in time requirements from one minute up.
- Add pops of rest into your daily diary with alerts to remind you.
- Next, create a list of things you would like to do for fun.
- Find time in your weekly and monthly diary to prioritise these activities.
Danielle Colley, author of The Chocolate Bar Life ($29.95), is a sought-after speaker, leadership workshop facilitator and coach. Her philosophy prizes the zing of career achievement without your work taking over your whole life. She says sayonara to burnout and hello to holistic success and sustainable ambition. Find out more at daniellecolley.com.au
