Striking a healthy work-life balance is an important concept for all of us to achieve – after all, what’s the point in working so hard when you have no time or energy left to actually reap the rewards from it and enjoy your life? Finding the right work-life balance will differ for every individual, but here are some healthy habits to focus on that will help you loosen the grip on your work life so you can have more time and energy left to enjoy your life outside of work.
Make Personal Time a Priority
If you’re feeling miserable trying to juggle work demands and your personal life, then it’s time to switch up your priorities. Of course work is important, but so is your personal downtime (and sanity). Having enough time to relax and enjoy off-time with your friends and loved ones is what life is all about. If you’re too preoccupied with your work, then you’re likely letting an important aspect of life slip away.
Commit to making your own personal time a priority. Every week, schedule at least two evenings or days where you can forget about work and do something for yourself – a lunch date with friends, a date night with your partner, or even a soak in the tub with a good book in your hand will do the trick.
Reel in Your Time Management Skills
You may think that you’ve got time management nailed down to a tee, but consider taking a closer look at your daily routines. Are there habits or activities that zap plenty of your time and energy without really benefiting your career or personal life? Maybe it’s enduring workplace gossip from colleagues, or spending too much time on the web. It’s easy to get caught up in bad habits that don’t benefit us at all and end up accumulating a large portion of our time. Try to reel in your habits and time management skills by paying attention to the things you frequently do throughout your day. Look for ways to shave down wasted time so you can get your work done faster, freeing up more time to do what you enjoy.
Put Down the Phone
These days we are all plugged into our devices all day, every day, with our eyes constantly glued to the screen instead of focusing on the present. That, coupled with the convenience of technology allowing us to be connected to work almost 24/7, the boundary between your work and personal lives becomes even harder to maintain. Luckily, you have the power to shut it off. If you’re finding that work is leeching into your personal time, then you need to create your own boundaries and learn to embrace the off button more often.
Finding the right work-life balance is important for your own health and well being. As technology makes communication even easier, it means that creating those personal boundaries and carving out time to relax and recharge is only going to become more important to prioritize. Start today and take charge of your life by forming these types of habits to give yourself the opportunity to kick back and actually enjoy the fruits of your labour.
