Finding work-life balance is more challenging than it sounds. It’s often one of the most significant sources of stress in our lives. But with a bit of planning and self-awareness, you can learn how to find a healthy balance between your job and personal life to enjoy both equally!
Identify your priorities.
- Identify your priorities.
- Do the most important things first.
- Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance.
- Prioritize tasks based on your personal goals.
- Prioritize tasks based on what you can get done in the time available or how many hours per day or week you have to work on them if that’s relevant to your situation (e.g., if you’re working from home).
Make a list of tasks that need to be done each day and check off what you’ve accomplished each day. It’s important to celebrate these small achievements!
Make a list of tasks that need to be done each day and check off what you’ve accomplished. It’s important to celebrate these small achievements!
- Stay caught up in the big picture, or you’ll lose sight of what is truly important.
- Don’t stress about things you can’t control, like traffic or the weather. Focus on the things within your control: how much time was spent working today? Are there any tasks that need to be completed? Can I delegate those tasks so that they get done by someone else?
Create a work-life balance plan. Decide what time of day works best for you to get things done, and stick with it.
- Create a work-life balance plan. Decide what time of day works best for you to get things done, and stick with it.
- Try to do only some things at a time. If your schedule is packed, prioritize the most urgent tasks first, then move on.
- Only try to do things in a different order than they need to be done–you’ll just end up wasting time trying to figure out how long each task will take or if what needs doing is even worth doing!
Manage your email inbox with an app like Mailbox. It turns emails into to-do lists automatically.
- Mailbox is an app that turns your email inbox into a to-do list. You can swipe messages to archive them, snooze them for later, and even set up automatic reminders for certain types of emails. It’s free, but a paid version with more features if you want it.
- Once you’ve installed Mailbox on your phone or tablet (it works on both), go through all of the emails in your inbox one by one–swiping right if they need attention now and left if they don’t.
- Once you’ve done this, tap “archive” at the bottom of each message; this will remove it from view while keeping everything neatly organized in case anyone needs access later on down the road!
Leave the office early on Friday, or take a siesta!
Leave the office early on Friday. It’s a good idea to take time off from work when you can get it. If you don’t have this option and aren’t able to leave early, take a mental health day or sick day if needed! This is important because it helps recharge your batteries and gives you some space between work and home life so that they don’t blend too much–you want both sides of your life to feel separate so that they each have their own identity and purpose.
To achieve this balance between work and personal life:
- Take vacations! Even if only for an overnight trip once every few months (or even once per year), taking vacations allows us time away from our normal routine where we can recharge physically and mentally before jumping back into our daily lives again with renewed energy levels ready for whatever comes next in terms of challenges at home or work.*
Set boundaries with colleagues and family members who expect you to be available 24/7.
Setting boundaries with colleagues and family members who expect you to be available 24/7 is a great way to ensure you have time for yourself. Be honest about your availability, tell people when you’re unavailable, so they don’t ask or expect things of you, then get frustrated when they can’t reach you.
For example: “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to meet today because my phone battery died.” Or “I’m swamped right now, so I don’t have time for coffee after work today.”
It is possible to achieve work-life balance if you have the right mindset!
You can have a successful career and a happy life. Having balance in your life is essential, but it’s also essential to prioritize what you want out of your career.
Stay caught up in the rat race. You don’t have to work 80 hours per week just because everyone else does, and if that means saying no when asked for overtime or taking time off on weekends so you can spend time with family or friends, then do it! Be bold and ask for help, too–whether it’s asking for advice from more experienced coworkers or getting extra help from other departments when needed (and vice versa). Most importantly: take breaks every once in a while! It will recharge your batteries so that when it comes time for work later that day/weekend/month etc., everything will go smoothly without having burnt out beforehand due to lack of sleep because “your boss said” so…
You may not be able to achieve a work-life balance right away, but it’s essential to know that you can make progress. If you struggle with this, try taking a step back from your work and consider why you want it so badly. There may be something else that would make life meaningful. Visit Daily Wisely for more helpful information!
