6 simple tips for improving work-life balance in the New Year

✯ Hello Shiny Stars! ✯

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"Never get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life."

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I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but this time I did: I promised myself to have a better work-life balance in 2024.

Last year, I found myself constantly working overtime or not taking breaks and neglecting my personal time. So towards the end of last year, I started making a conscious effort to find a better balance.

This resolution has a huge impact, improving not only mental but also physical health and leading to an increase in overall wellbeing and happiness. By focusing on maintaining a healthy balance, this year can lead to a more fulfilling and enriched life.

If you too would like to achieve better harmony, here are some tips for an improved work-life balance:

✨ 1. Set boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. Set specific working hours and stick to them. Avoid working outside of the defined hours and - depending on your job - checking work emails or calls.

✨ 2. Prioritize and delegate: Learn to prioritize tasks effectively and delegate them when necessary and possible. Identify the most important tasks and focus on completing them efficiently.

✨ 3. Take breaks and rest: Make sure you take regular breaks throughout the working day. Step away from your desk, stretch, take a short walk and refresh your mind. Also try not to eat your lunch in front of the computer. Additionally, ensure that you get enough sleep every night and when you are on vacation, stop thinking about work and recharge your batteries.

✨ 4. Plan and organize: Plan your days and weeks in advance so you don't find yourself rushing at the last minute. Set realistic goals and create to-do lists to stay organized. This will help you to reduce stress.

✨ 5. Learn to say no: It's important that you learn to say no when your agenda is already full. Taking on too much can lead to burnout and negatively impact your work-life balance. Prioritize your own well-being and be selective about additional commitments.

✨ 6. Engage in self-care activities: Make time for activities that help you relax and de-stress. Whether it's playing sports, pursuing hobbies, spending time with loved ones or engaging in other personal interests, make sure you take time for yourself and enjoy the process.

Remember that work-life balance is a long journey and it may take some trial and error to find what works best for you. Be patient and persistent in implementing these tips to achieve a healthier balance in the long run.

How do you maintain balance in your life? If you have any other tips, leave them in a comment below.

I wish you a great journey. 💕

With best wishes,

E

Start the year with a smile: New Year's word search

✯ Hello Shiny Stars! ✯

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"We all get the exact same 365 days. The only difference is what we do with them."

(Hillary DePiano)

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First of all, happy New Year, may 2024 be filled with love, health and happy moments. ✨

Let's start the new year with a little game. I saw this type of word search many, many years ago and liked it very much, therefore I thought I would share one with you this year. I just googled it and found the one from NCCC Cinemas to be the best.

What are the first three words you see? - Comment them below, I am looking forward to reading them. 

PS, mine were marriage, career and dance.

With all best wishes for 2024,

E

A year in pixels - with free printable sheet

✯ Hello Shiny Stars! ✯

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"Make today worth remembering." (Zig Ziglar)

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I have been absent for a while, but I hope you are all well and healthy.  :)

We just had New Year's Eve, but we are already at the end of the first week of January, so I might be a bit late with my post.

As a small gift from me for the new year, I created a free printable sheet for you.

It's called "A Year in Pixels" and it allows you to somehow track how your days have been throughout the year.

There is a colour code next to the day table that shows you which colour means which mood, and you can colour your table based on how you felt on that particular day.

This table has been created so that it can be used for any year, even leap years. So if the month does not have 31 days, just put an "X" in the field.

This is the first time, I am doing this, so if you haven't tried it yet like me, feel free to join in, I'm sure it will be nice to see how it turns out. Whether it becomes colourful or one colour dominates, maybe we can even realise something through it that we weren't aware of before. 

You can download your own sheet here.  :)

Let me know in the comments section if you are joining in or have already started, I am happy to see your pixels, so feel free to send them to me every now and then at my email address or share it with me on Twitter.

I wish you a lot of fun and also preservation with your pixel sheet and all the best and good health for 2021.  :)

Lots of love,

E

For a happy, peaceful year

✯ Hello Shiny Stars! ✯


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"You. Yes, you. The one reading this right now.
You are beautiful, talented, amazing and simply the best at being you.
Never forget that."

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2018. A year of ups and downs. Many struggles, but also many positive events.

People who came into our lives, and others, even loved ones, who chose to leave us - voluntarily or because they had no other choice. Tears, losses, heartache, heartbreaks, mean people, hate, work stress, health problems.. 

I could continue the list and unfortunately many could relate to it. But do you know what, life happens whether you want it or not. And we are here. We have not only survived. We are stronger than a year ago. Bad things happen, and it is okay to cry, but I say and always want to believe, that if you can make a small difference on your own, then together we can make a big difference and make the world a better place.

Let's focus on the good things, the happy moments. Remember that walk with your loved one. That beautiful place you discovered this year. That tasty meal you created from scratch. That smile a stranger gave you when you left him in the queue in front of you. Your inner child, that flattered, forgetting all your problems for a while. Or the movie you saw, the book you read, the places you visited, the lovely people you met this year. The funny moments with your family, friends, that big laugh. Concentrate on these. Train your mind to remember these positive events.

This year I want to challenge you, us, to be more kind, including to ourselves. If you are having a bad day, then remember, that we all struggle sometimes, and stay strong, be positive even in these difficult times, because you are capable of amazing things. 

So, keep shining, beautiful one. The world needs your light. And remind yourself that you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing.

💖✨ Keep shining, beautiful one. The world needs your light. And remind yourself that you don't have to do what everyone else is doing. ✨💖

— P & P style (@pandpstyle) December 24, 2018

I wish you all a wonderful 2019. May this year be filled with love, joy, happiness and health. :)

Let’s spread some positivity to start the new year with a good feeling.  

➡️ Please share one of your favourite, most memorable or sweetest moments from 2018 in the comment section below. ♡

If you liked this post, you might be interested in these one, too: "New year, new attitude: Try to live, not just exist" (Just click on it to land on the original post.)

Lots of love,
E 

New year, new attitude: Try to live, not just exist

✯ Hello Shiny Stars! ✯

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"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist." (Oscar Wilde)

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2016 went by so fast. We might say it every year but it’s still accurate. With the digital world life is speeding up and we receive so many information that we barely know how to handle with all of that. We know what happened on the other side of the world, we know almost „everything”, even those informations we didn’t want to know about. Everything and everybody is online. 

Our parents and grandparents were growing up in an environment where newspaper, radio and later TV were the only source of news. They didn’t know much about what other people were doing, especially not in different countries. They had a real childhood, an offline life. They spent most of their times outside, they enjoyed the fresh air. For today’s young generations it is unimaginable even just to think about a day, a week without internet. We keep contact with others, we read, we share, we are just online. Most of as always.

Years back it was said that you shouldn’t watch TV so long and so close because it is bad for your eyes. But today we stare at the screen of our laptop, phone, iPad and co. for long hours. Just imagine if you are working in an office with a computer then there are already 8 hours in front of the screen, just at work. And what do you do during your breaks? You go online of course, to check your phone. Your eyes can’t get any rest.

But what are the things you think back most likely? What are your special memories? I bet not your online moments. It is probably the time you spent with your family, friends or other loved ones. It might be a dinner with your boy-/girlfriend, a conversation turning into laugh with your family, a walk in the rain, a funny play with your dog. You might remember the way somebody looked at you or a sentence somebody told you long ago. All these are moments from the offline life we should live more often.

I’d like to ask you the simple question now. When was the last time you did something at the first time? New online things don’t count by this. Making a new layout for a blog, writing a new blogpost, registering at a new site or things like that are no answers. Concentrate on your offline life and if you can’t find anything in the last few days, weeks, maybe you should change. 2017 is full of opportunities. Seize the day. 

I would like to ask you to comment with one of your most memorable moments. Happy, funny, sad, every kind of story is welcomed.

I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful year with health, joy, happiness and success. Happy 2017!

Lots of love,  

E

 

May 2016 be the best yet

✯ Hello Shiny Stars and hello 2016! ✯ 

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Three days ago we said goodbye to 2015 which was a year full of new experiences and lovely memories. I hope you all had a great time and you could fill these 12 months with laughter and happiness.

With blogging I can be just pleased. In 2015 P&P style turned 3 years old. The blog is being part of collaborations and I have attended amazing blogger and fashion events. In addition I've had admirable Readers whom I would like to thank for the lovely comments and all the support in 2015! I hope you will be here this year too.

I would like to take the opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a wonderful year with joy, health and happiness. May 2016 be the best yet.  :)

* The Letterbox Cake is from BakerDays *

Lots of love,
E


PS: Check out 2015's most viewed posts here:
 
1. The Look of the Week with Alba Carrillo
2. The Look of the week with Candice Patton
3. Forever Denim
 

Hello 2015!

✯ Hello shiny stars and hello 2015! ✯ 

Last week we said goodbye to 2014 which was a year full of new experiences.

Since last summer I am writing the blog alone while my sister concentrates on her own blog which you can find here. 

Reflecting on the year 2014, I can be nothing but pleased.
I am so greatful for having such a great readers. Thank you to all of you for being here and for all those lovely comments I have received. You guys are amazing.  :)
I would also like to say thank you to LeAnn Rimes Cibrian who noticed and answered "The Look of the Week"-tweet. Thanks to Barbara Meier who once retweeted and favorited a tweet and to Pia Miller too, who favorited my tweet.  :)

In July P&P style turned 2 years old and it was like a birthday present that Germany won the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The blog has received two awards: in March the Liebster Award and in November the #WEAwards.Thank you for them.  :)

As you probably know I moved to London with my sister where we had the opportunity to attend 3 great fashion events:

- At Almost Famous London we really felt almost famous.
- At The Fast and The Fashionable we met a very talented designer, Kwame Koranteng who has later received the title "Best Male Fashion Designer" at the Beffta Awards  - for the second year running.  
- And at the ApuJan SS15 Cocktail Reception we learned a very important thing: it is possible to hear the fashion.

All events were amazing and very memorable but they were not the most viewed entries last year. 
Here are your favouirtes, the "Top 3 Posts in 2014" :
1. The Look of the Week with Taylor Swift, Alessandra Ambrosio and Jeannie Hsieh
2. Independence Day with an US-flag inspired collage
3. The Look of the Week with LeAnn Rimes

I hope you all had a great year and I would like to wish you and your family a pleasant, enjoyable and healthy New Year!
Happy 2015!  :)

I’d like to wish you a pleasant and enjoyable new year! May your 2015 be full of health, love, harmony and abundance! - See more at: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2014/12/31/womens-tennis-blog-wishes-happy-new-year-2015/#sthash.gbuwkIpw.dpuf

Just as every year, I’d like to wish you a pleasant and enjoyable new year! May your 2015 be full of health, love, harmony and abundance! - See more at: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2014/12/31/womens-tennis-blog-wishes-happy-new-year-2015/#sthash.gbuwkIpw.dp

Reflecting on the year 2014, I can be nothing but pleased - See more at: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2014/12/31/womens-tennis-blog-wishes-happy-new-year-2015/#sthash.gbuwkIpw.dpuf

Just as every year, I’d like to wish you a pleasant and enjoyable new year! May your 2015 be full of health, love, harmony and abundance! - See more at: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2014/12/31/womens-tennis-blog-wishes-happy-new-year-2015/#sthash.gbuwkIpw.dpuf

Just as every year, I’d like to wish you a pleasant and enjoyable new year! May your 2015 be full of health, love, harmony and abundance! - See more at: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2014/12/31/womens-tennis-blog-wishes-happy-new-year-2015/#sthash.gbuwkIpw.dpuf

Just as every year, I’d like to wish you a pleasant and enjoyable new year! May your 2015 be full of health, love, harmony and abundance! - See more at: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2014/12/31/womens-tennis-blog-wishes-happy-new-year-2015/#sthash.gbuwkIpw.dpuf

Lots of love,

E

PS: What was your most memorable moment in 2014? 
 

Goodbye 2013 - Hello 2014!

✯ Dear shiny stars! ✯

This is already the second week in 2014, but if you don’t mind, we want to wish you a wonderful year with joy and happiness. We hope, you all had a good start into the new year.

Thank you for your support in 2013, we hope, you will be here also in 2014.

What happened last year?

Well, we could welcome many new followers on our site and we celebrated our 1. blog-birthday with a giveaway.

We have presented you weekly „The Look of the Week”. Sometimes it was a little difficult to choose between a street-look and an event-look, but it has always been fun. And so that we are by the theme, we want to present you the woman, who was 4 times our „The Look of the Week”-winner. Therefore we crowned her for „The Most Stylish Woman in 2013”. Congratulation Alessandra Ambrosio!  :)

A special thank-you to Sharam Diniz, who gave us a lovely memory. She not only retweeted our „The Look of the Week”-tweet, but also she answered us.

Thanks to Eva Padberg, too, who once retweeted our tweet.

Don’t forget, you can find all our topics on the right side. Just click on them to find all original posts in the theme. Or use the „Search”-box.

xoxo,

P&P style

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✯ Liebe shiny stars! ✯

Das ist schon die zweite Woche in 2014, aber hoffentlich stört es euch nicht, wenn wir euch jetzt ein wundervolles, gesundes Neues Jahr wünschen. Wir hoffen, ihr alle hattet einen guten Rutsch.

Wir möchten uns bei euch für eure Unterstützung in 2013 bedanken, und hoffen, ihr werdet auch in 2014 hier sein.

Was alles geschah letztes Jahr?

Nun, wir konnten viele neue Mitglieder auf unserer Seite begrüssen und haben unseren ersten Blog-Geburtstag mit einem Giveaway gefeiert.

Wir haben euch jede Woche das beste Look präsentiert. Manchmal war es schwierig zwischen einem Strassen-Look und einem Event-Look die Entscheidung zu treffen, aber es hat uns immer Spass gemacht.

Und wenn wir mal bei der Sache sind, wir möchten euch die Beste der Besten zu präsentieren. Diese Frau war 4-mal unser „The Look of the Week”, womit sie den Titel „The Most Stylish Woman in 2013” verdient hat. Gratulation an Alessandra Ambrosio!  :)

Ein besonderes Dankeschön geht an Sharam Diniz, die uns eine liebe Erinnerung geschenkt hat, als sie unser „The Look of the Week”-Tweet nicht nur retweetet, sondern auch beantwortet hat.

Vielen Dank an Eva Padberg auch, die unser Tweet einmal ebenfalls retweetet hat.

Vergisst nicht, ihr könnt alle Themenbereiche von uns auf der rechten Seite finden. Klickt einfach auf die Titeln die originale Einträge zu finden. Oder benutzt den „Search”-Knopf.

xoxo,

P&P style