Balancing work life and personal life can be tough. Longer working hours, expectations of using smartphones to be on call or answering emails 24/7, more pressure to get things done quickly and less personal time creates tension. Add all these together and you are left with stress and a variety of daily struggles. But a healthy balance is all within your control. Here are 4 work life balance tips that you can begin using right now:
Reserve one hour a day to do something for yourself
Whether that’s time to read a book, learn a new skill or partake in your favorite hobby you should make time for what’s important to you. Do this by building downtime into your schedule and putting your distractions away for maximum relaxation.
Focus on results, not time spent
Rather than working on activities that drain your energy, focus on what will make the biggest impact and lead to increased feelings of accomplishment and motivation. It’s important to remember that “getting more things done means nothing when nothing great is done” (LifeHack.org).
Rethink your errands
WebMD recommends considering whether you can outsource any of your time-consuming household chores or errands. Could you order your groceries online and have them delivered? Do you have have a neighborhood kid who could mow your lawn? Even if you have a tighter budget, you may discover the time you’d save is worth it.
Have a social life
Instead of reserving fun things for the weekends, try planning at least one exciting activity during the week. This gives you something to look forward to midweek and allows you to blow off some steam if the week gets stressful early on.
Need more inspiration on creating a more relaxed lifestyle? Check out our blogs on Combating Burn at Work and Managing Stress at Work.
By: Rebecca Bordner