Simple Tips on How to Find the Right Work-Life Balance in Everyday Life
For most people, leaving work at work can feel like an impossible task and it seemingly takes top priority over everything else in your life. Because we have an undying desire to succeed professionally, it can cause us to neglect family life as well as neglect our own health and well-being without even realizing it.
According to Mental Health America, one out of four Americans state that they are stressed from work. If you think about it, you’ll understand why. A lot of people experience stress and don’t even realize they’re stressed because they’ve mentally suppressed it. “I’m fine” is typically the response you’d get from a person who has suppressed their stress. They may look “fine” but they’re experiencing signs of stress in other ways like:
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Losing hair
- Teeth or jaw pain (from grinding your teeth)
- Irregular period
- Issues with digestion
Those are all symptoms of stress that people don’t even realize are coming from stress. So what’s the solution? You just simply need to stop stressing about work, right? For almost everybody, that’s definitely easier said than done. I mean, how can you stop stressing about work when technology has made it easier than ever for “work” to impose on your time at home? Whether it be through social media, a text, or email, your job has access to you through several outlets and it’s all by way of the thing that you keep on you at all times… your cell phone.
Finding the Perfect Work-Life Balance
So the question remains: how do you find the perfect work-life balance? Well, the first step to finding the perfect work-life balance is accepting that there is no perfect work-life balance. Everyone’s daily lives are different and everyone’s stressors are different as well so there’s no one-size-fits-all for finding the perfect work-life balance but there are strategies and things you can do to improve or enhance your work-life balance. Take a look at these life hacks to reduce your work stress and bring balance into your life.
Work-Life Balance At Work
Give Yourself Achievable Goals
When you’re able to meet goals and deadlines, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and control which will give you the motivation to achieve and accomplish more goals. The key thing to remember with your goals is to be realistic about them. Start out small and then increase your goal level. Some people will make “To-Do” lists at the end of their day for the things they need to get done the next day. Prioritize that list and mark them off as you accomplish them. Also, keep in mind that it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.
Take Necessary Breaks From Your Workload
When you feel your workload getting too heavy, step away from your work station or desk and take five. Don’t feel like taking a break is going to slow or increase your workload. In fact, most employers encourage their employees to take breaks during their workday. Lots of times, taking breaks improve employee productivity, promote clearer minds, and a boost in mood when they come back from breaks, so do yourself and give yourself a break.
Practice Effective Communication
If you’re working on a project and are having a hard time finding a solution, communicate your issue with your colleagues or your boss. Asking for help doesn’t make you a bad employee… it actually makes you a smart and responsible one. It’s better to ask for help than to just assume something you don’t know.
Another aspect of effective communication is giving suggestions. Instead of constantly complaining about something, find a solution to a problem and take the solution to your boss. This will reduce stress from your life at work and could possibly eliminate that same stress for others. It will also show that you’re a problem solver.
Work-Life Balance At Home
Make Time For Family Fun
Your job is important but it shouldn’t define who you are. Before taking on your current position, you had hobbies and things you enjoyed doing… your job shouldn’t take that away. That’s why it’s so important to set aside time to do enjoyable things for yourself and with your family.
Making time for yourself and your family doesn’t even have to be anything extravagant. Sure, you can take a family vacation and have the time of your life but you can also stream your favorite movies and TV shows during a family fun night and have just as much fun! So when determining the right work-life balance that fits your lifestyle, be sure to make time for yourself and your loved ones as well.
Unplug From Work At Home
Being so accessible at work can be very convenient for you at work but that accessibility can be the very thing that hinders you from having a happy and enjoyable life at home. Once you leave your work premises, you should be able to go home without any disturbances from work. If you think about it, isn’t that what your job tells you?
So many employers will tell employees to leave home issues at home before coming to work because they want you focused on your job responsibilities but it’s okay for you to bring work home with you when all you want to do is focus on yourself and your family… that’s not fair at all but that’s how it is for a lot of people. That reason alone is why you need to unplug when you get home.
An easy solution to this problem would be to either turn your phone off when you get home or put your email notifications on silent but you shouldn’t have to do that… you need to get to the bottom of it all and sometimes that means going to your boss or your employees and discussing your boundaries and work hours. This conversation will officially let them know that you’re not available after a certain time of day and to not be contacted unless it’s an absolute emergency.
