Achieving work / life balance

Life is about balance. Have you noticed that in order to work hard all day, you need to sleep well at night. If you don't sleep well, you can't perform your daily tasks and activities well. If you are feeling tired and run down, then I can gurantee that the work that you do, the conversations that you have and the way you hold your body (and head) will reflect the fact that you feel tired and run down. You will be lack lustre, your heart just won't be in it.
 
The thing is, most of us don't know how to relax. We forget what it's like to have down time, what I call non-striving time. I am on annual leave from my day time job this week, and so far I have not stopped. I feel that I have to clean every room in my house, go the gym, meet my "friends", cook a wholesome dinner every night. Are you like that - do you get back off your holiday feeling like you need another one?
 
Why do we impose deadlines on ourselves all the time? Why do we feel that we have to get things done within a certain space of time? Of course if you are punching a time clock, or have work-related projects that are time bound then you are more likely to keep a wary eye on the clock. We end up tired and out of sorts, like a car that isn't running on all cylinders.
 
Most motivational speakers recommend you taking 5 minutes out of each day just for you. Well if 5 minutes is all you can spare for your emotional and physical well-being, then take those 5 minutes. But let me put it to you this way. We all need about 7 hours sleep a night. If you work full time then you can be out of the house for something like 10-12 hours per day....that's 17-19 hours each day spoken for. Now add in the time taken to get ready for work, time to cook dinner and do the dishes - what's left? 2-4 hours per 24 hour day - if you are lucky. How do you spend those few hours? Sitting in front of the television? Doing chores? Doing work you've brought home to get a head start on tomorrow?
 
So take a personal inventory - in your daily allocation of 24 hours, is your day balanced? Or does it need some adjustment?