Work life balance is a common goal we all aspire to but what does it really take to achieve and maintain it? Some teachers like to exert all their energy at school, often leaving little time for friends and family.

You hear the term work life balance, almost as though our work is separate from our life and it's only when we've finished working that we can start living!

It is very easy for teachers to become workaholics because they are passionate about their work and feel duty bound to be there for their students.

Whether you feel that your life is perfectly balanced or not, it's worth trying this exercise out to see if it reveals anything new to you.

1. Write down the five most important things in your life? e.g. work, friends etc

2. Next to each one write down the percentage of time you gave each area last week?

3. Are you happy with the balance?

4. Where does your emphasis need to be this week?

A few thoughts to help you with your own work life balance are:-

- Regular reviews - monitor your progress and work out where you are wasting time and how you can change it, forget excuses.

- Plan in ahead - diarise a few activities like going to the gym, meeting friends, special meals out, films, walks, reading etc.

- Apply rules - create some guidelines for yourself like leaving work no later than 5pm, or no work goes home, remind yourself that your family/health/friends are important too.

Balance is really about allocating time to things that are important to you. If you are giving all your time to your work, then you are saying to yourself that everything else is less important. All work no play makes Jack a dull boy - does this apply to you?

Dot Struthers specialises in helping teachers to develop their leadership and management skills and offers practical coaching hints and tips at http://www.merechats.co.uk She also offers personal coaching, HR consultancy and management training courses.