7 Tips For Maintaining A Healthy Work-Life Balance
In today's world, a healthy work-life balance can seem nearly impossible. Not only does technology make it easy to reach employees at all hours of the day — or night — but social media shows us the seemingly perfect lives that others have. As a result, many people find themselves working overtime to try and keep up with their work demands or match the impossible expectations of a perfectly balanced life.
Such a life can be exhausting.
Not only can overworking wear you out fast, but it doesn't leave much time for yourself or your loved ones. The key to living a healthy, happy life is not living up to a false idea of what your life should be like, but simply finding what works for you. A healthy work-life balance is going to be different for everyone, but as you find what fits your needs, you will also find that you are a lot happier!
Here are seven ways that you can discover what balance is right for you.
Let Go of Perfectionism & Be Fluid
The first step to creating and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is letting go of the idea that there is a 'perfect' balance that you have to achieve. Instead of striving for perfection, strive to be realistic. Let's face it — there will be days you focus more on work, and there will be others when you have more time and energy to pursue your own hobbies and spend time with friends and family. A healthy work-life balance is a day-to-day act, and it is not something you achieve right away. It is important that you keep a fluid state where you can adjust to your daily needs, as well as reassess your priorities and make adjustments along the way.
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Make Your Health A Priority
When life gets busy, it seems that our health is often one of the first things that we set aside for something else. But, your overall mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being should be at the top of your priority list. Exercise is a great stress-reducer. Even if it only a few times a week, make sure you have a dedicated time where you can focus on taking care of yourself. This could include meditating in the mornings or when you get home from work, deep breathing exercises during your commute, or maybe even a boxing class to get out any built-up stress. Whatever you do, find something that fits in your life and is something you enjoy. As you make your health a priority, you will be a happier, healthier person. This will make you a better and more productive employee at work, and a better partner, parent, and friend.
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Make Time For Yourself & Loved Ones
Jobs are important, but they aren't the most important thing in life, and they shouldn't consume your life. For a healthy work-life balance, you need to make sure you leave time for life. This can require deliberate action and planning, and while it may seem silly to schedule a day and time to be with your family and friends, it is a great way to make sure that you spend quality time with those you care about. When making time for yourself, focus your plans around activities or hobbies that you enjoy and that make you happy. When you are excited about something, you are more likely to ensure it happens instead of letting work get in the way, again.
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Set Boundaries For Work
Technology makes it easy for employers to reach you at any time of the day, including those times when you have already left the office. But, continuing your work at home leaves little time for the personal part of your life. To help set work boundaries, avoid thinking about projects you need to finish for work once you get home, or don't answer company emails. If possible, use a work-only computer or phone that you can turn off at the end of the work day. When setting work boundaries, be sure to let your team members and managers know what your boundaries are and when you will and will not be reachable.
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Don't Be Afraid to Unplug
Sometimes the constant barrage of seemingly perfect lives that we see on social media can lead to an unhealthy amount of pressure, leading us to think that we have to meet ridiculously high expectations. At times, we may need to just unplug from the world and allow ourselves to recover from the stress and pressure we face. Unplugging allows us to make more space for our thoughts; you can really focus on yourself and your needs, and let ideas flow of what may be best for you at this time in your life. If you are with family or friends, put your phone away or turn it off, and just enjoy the moments you have with those you love. Notifications can distract us from what is happening around us, and when they are notifications from work, we can experience a sudden influx of stress. By simply unplugging, you can make time with yourself and others true quality time.
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Limit Time-Wasting Activities
Sometimes we are good at leaving work at work, but when we get home, we aren't as productive as we would like to be. To help you make the most of your personal time, try making a list of the things that are most important in your life. Make sure these things are what you think are important, not someone else. From there, determine what you can trim away. At work, make your time as productive as possible by using effective To Do lists and eliminating tasks that have little or no value. When you get home focus on what is most important in your personal life. Establish rules and boundaries to help keep you on track. It may seem a little selfish to focus on what you think is important, but when it come to being a good employee, friend, parent, partner, and better you, you need to make sure you take care of yourself first.
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Set Small Goals & Stick To Them
Changes aren't going to happen overnight, and it will be easier to make the changes you want when you approach them in smaller chunks. After you've made a list of your priorities, set some achievable goals for your career, health, family life, and personal life. And don't get discouraged when you misstep along the way. Just take things one step at a time, don't be afraid to make adjustments along the way, and soon enough you will find yourself achieving a more balanced work-life relationship.
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No matter what your life looks like now, you can find a way to balance your work and personal needs so that you can more fully enjoy life. By focusing on your needs and what works for you instead of what others think you should do, you can discover a true work-life balance that fits your life.