In today’s busy world, you may find that you and your boyfriend are becoming like ships passing in the night.

It’s easy to find your relationship slipping by the wayside when you’re a career woman juggling work commitments, as well as everything else you’re trying to fit on your plate. Read on to find out how to balance career with the boy…

Is your life balanced?
Balance means different things for different people, but the idea is that you find a combination of work and love that is healthy, and that makes you happy.

So is your life balanced? The first question you have to ask yourself is whether or not you’re happy with your current routine. If your career is your main love interest, having your relationship as a side dish to your work may be what works for you. Alternatively you may be spending too many hours at the office and regretting not having enough time to spend with your boyfriend.

Secondly, is your boyfriend happy? While you may feel that you have the work/love balance to your satisfaction, he might want more from you. This may mean that you have to re-adjust your work/love balance to accommodate his needs as well as yours.

Balancing work, love and life
As well as your career and your relationship, you may be trying to fit in a myriad of other things as well such as socialising, hobbies or other projects you have underway. It may be time to prioritise rather than be a jack of all trades. Try cutting out some of the less important things you have going on, so that you can dedicate yourself to the most important aspects of your life.

Scheduling time to spend on your relationship can also help you to fit in time for both work and love without them interfering with one another. Try setting aside a day in the weekend or a few evenings a week dedicated to quality boyfriend time. Or if you’re really short on time, try fitting in little moments when you can, such as eating breakfast or exercising together.

When work and love collide
Keeping your work and relationships separate can be almost impossible when both are such important aspects of your life. Bringing your relationship problems with you to work can cause problems, and vice versa.

After a hard day at work, it’s healthy to sit down and discuss your problems with your boyfriend. However it is unhealthy to allow those problems to take over your relationship, or to use your boyfriend to let off steam. Talk to him about your work problems, but don’t go overboard.

If you’re having problems in your relationship, letting them follow you to work can impede your progress and concentration. Arrange to meet a friend for lunch, or give them a quick phone call to get things off your chest before it affects your work. It may be a challenge, but if you can get the work/love balance right you’ll be getting the best of both worlds.

Kayla Langhorne