Striking a balance. That’s never easy, no matter what you’re doing. As humans, we tend to swing the pendulum from one extreme to the other. Though it can be difficult, it is possible to strike that perfect balance between work and personal life. Here are five tips to find that balancing point for your work-life.
- Unplug
The benefits of unplugging and getting away from any sort of screen time are enormous. Turning off, silencing, or leaving behind your phone will greatly help you to focus on your family. The temptation to check your email, and then wander into responding to a business email is great. But if you want to be happier and find that perfect balance for yourself, you’ve got to do this.
If you find yourself spending extensive time in front of a screen, unplugging can also help your eyes and brain adjust. When you spend long amounts of time looking at that glaring white light, your eyes become strained. This is an undisputed health issue in today’s increasingly technological world. You’ve probably even experienced this yourself. Go with the healthier option, mentally and physically, and choose to unplug, at least for a specific length of time, in the evening and on the weekends.
- Prioritize
What really matters to you? What do you want to achieve in your work, your personal life? Knowing this, and having those things written down, can greatly help in knowing what to say “yes” or “no” to. You have a limited amount of time, how you spend it is really up to you. Define your priorities and talk with your family about those, so that there are no misconceptions. Then when someone requests something extra of you at work, if it doesn’t fit into those priorities, you can say “no” and clearly explain why.
- Leave it at the Office
Part of what makes the average worker unbalanced is once they leave the office, they keep thinking about work. Instead of being able to shut off that part of their lives for a while, they’re constantly thinking about what they did that day and what needs to be accomplished tomorrow. If you’re afraid of forgetting what you need to accomplish or a key point you need to bring up in that meeting, write it down before you leave the office. Leave a sticky note with a to-do or reminder list there. Take these precautions so you don’t take those concerns and thoughts home with you.
- Abandon Perfectionism
Perfectionism is a quick killer to a balanced life. If you’re constantly striving for perfection at work or having that required of you, you’ve got a problem. That’s not a healthy way to live. You’re only human, and as such, you have a life beyond work. Rather than trying to reach an unattainable level of perfection, go for excellence. Do your best at what you do, but when it comes time to leave, leave it there. Shut down thought patterns that agonize over whether that presentation is absolutely perfect or what have you. You’ll always fall short of perfection, which will result in a poor attitude. At that point, you’ll have already given up time at home, and what time you have will be colored by your apparent failure.
- Exercise
Taking care of yourself, physically, mentally, and emotionally, is very important to this balance. Exercise has health benefits that extend to reducing stress and providing a healthier attitude and mindset. This is usually the first on your list to go when your schedule gets cramped, but if you choose to use this tool to help with your work-life balance, you’ll thank yourself in the long run.
Do you have a work-life balance? Or have you seen ways that you haven’t been using this list in your life? Use these five tips to create a balance perfect for you and your unique situation.