Work-life balance means something different for every person, yet most people find it to be an impossible feat as work days get longer, and technology blurs the line between work and life. However, this work-life imbalance is not sustainable as it leads to damaged relationships, health, and happiness levels.
Take a look at these top five tips to achieve a good work-life balance, if you’re struggling to find balance in your day-to-day routine.
5. When you step away from the office, step away from email too.
Technology has made our lives much easier, but it also creates an unhealthy expectation of constant and complete accessibility. When you’re constantly checking and responding to emails from your boss, it makes it feel like work is never-ending. Not only will you physically spend less time off of your phone or computer, but you’ll also feel a greater sense of control over your time, and how you spend it.
4. Limit time wasting activities.
We all get sucked into activities that are complete time wasters like checking social media sites or gossiping with co-workers.
It’s important to evaluate your typical day, and watch for activities that drain you of time and add no value to your life. You can then make an effort to minimize the time you spend doing those activities, and maximize your time and efficiency.
3. Learn to say ‘no.’
Saying no feels wrong in today’s world, but saying yes to every little thing stretches you too thin, and takes time away from doing activities you actually want to do.
Remember when someone asks you for a favor, or asks you to go somewhere, you can always respectfully say no. Once you stop agreeing to do things out of guilt, you can finally get back to doing activities that make you feel fulfilled and make you feel like you’re not wasting your time. I guarantee an hour reading a new book, or going to a yoga class, will feel much better than an hour driving your roommate’s cousin to the airport.
2. Get moving.
When you’re feeling strapped for time and burnt out, exercise is the last thing on your mind, but it should be a top priority. Exercising boosts energy levels and improves concentration. Research has also shown that healthy exercise can help you be more alert. All of these benefits will make you feel better about yourself, as well as improving productivity.
1. Use your ‘you-time’ for you.
You-time is not available time, so stop replacing that vital pocket of time for yourself with silly errands or phone calls. Set aside time, even just an hour each week, on your calendar for relaxation, and actually use that time as you intended. It may seem lavish and wasteful to spend that time on yourself instead of getting something done, but you need that time to prevent burnout.
Treat you-time as you would any other obligation in order to make sure you don’t fall back into bad patterns of making yourself busier than need be.
Do you practice these work-life balance promoting techniques? Share with us in the comments.
[Featured image credit: www.sign.nl]