10 Essential Habits for a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Is work-life balance a myth? Or a practical goal that can be achieved as long as you take the right measures?
Contrary to popular belief, work-life balance isn’t about 50-50. Balance is very subjective to each individual’s needs. Only you can figure out what the sweet spot is.
If you’re struggling with juggling work tasks and your personal life, these 10 tips will guide you through the process of discovering what that balance means to you, and how to achieve it.
Establish What Balance Means to You
Every person has unique needs. Some people can work long hours from Monday to Friday and only need their weekend to completely decompress. Others require time for themselves, the gym, and reconnecting with friends during weekdays as well.
Balance is whatever feels good for your mental and physical health. So sit down, brainstorm in a journal, and figure out what would feel ideal to you, and go from there.
Make a Plan
A plan without action leads nowhere. Once you’ve established some ground rules on what your priorities are, create a strategy on how you can implement those things.
This can look different for everyone. If your job allows it, ask for more flexible work hours, or to work from home more days a week. Perhaps the change you need is to first take a few days off so you can recover from burnout, and then start your plan.
Make Changes
Step by step, implement all the changes you believe would improve your work-life balance.
Don’t get discouraged if your boss passes on your request for a holiday due to a busy project timeline. Shift the request a few weeks later, and in the meantime take other measures to relieve your stress levels and prioritize your relaxation. Before you know it, you’ll already see the benefits of making necessary changes.
Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries is a universally helpful skill. First, know what you want or don’t want. Second, communicate your boundaries to those around you, clearly and assertively.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. For instance, instead of getting mad and complaining when you’re contacted outside work, simply inform your colleagues that you won’t be available for work-related inquiries outside your shift… and then actually not respond.
Focus on Self-Care
In all this rush to do everything perfectly, don’t forget to enjoy life, too!
Take care of your mind, body, and spirit. Enjoy a workout session or swim on the weekends. Put on a facemask, some fresh popcorn, and your favorite Friends episode. Join the barbecue held by your neighbors.
Lean into all the things that help you decompress, to remember there’s a life outside of work.
Ask for Support
For many people, asking for help can be difficult (if not impossible. But having the courage to reach out and ask for support can prove incredibly rewarding.
Ask your manager if the company provides resources or training for managing stress. Check with your spouse if they can take over more of the household chores. Or give your friends a call and offload at your weekly Saturday brunch by the park.
You never know how others will respond. Most often, people just want to feel useful and make a positive difference.
Work Smart, Not Hard
In theory, multitasking sounds like a great solution to improve work-life balance, but it can be counter-intuitive. Doing three tasks when you should be doing one, will only add to the mental load and burnout.
Instead, try to delegate work tasks that other colleagues can take over. Overlap activities that are important, but which don’t require focus – for instance, eating your breakfast while listening to your daily affirmations. Prioritize and maximize efficiency, but not to the detriment of your mental health.
Disconnect in Your Personal Time
Setting boundaries is useless if you don’t respect them yourself.
When you’ve punched out from your shift, turn off all notifications. It’s your personal time.
Unless you’re a nurse or other professional that needs to be accessible 24/7, there is no justification for being plugged into work, for free. Your time is valuable, and the person who should begin valuing that first and foremost… is yourself.
Talk to a Therapist
You don’t always have to figure out everything on your own. Even friends, family, or a loving partner can only provide a limited amount of support before they feel overwhelmed or don’t know how to help you further.
A therapist however can provide specialized guidance on how to maneuver difficult situations. They can offer you reassurance and clarity over your next steps and even nudge you to make your discoveries about your strengths, weaknesses, or traumas – which you may not realize otherwise, as you’re too immersed in the situation.
Consider Changing Jobs
What if you’ve tried all the previous tips and nothing helps?
If your work environment is toxic, and you dread starting the work day, it may be time to simply change jobs. There’s only so much you can do on your end. It may be a difficult decision to take, but in the end, you will be better off relocating to a work environment that sees your value and supports your well-being.
SK Lumen
S.K. Lumen is a writer, artist and blogger who is passionate about helping women become their best selves. Her writing is educational, empowering and uplifting, and includes topics like personal development, self-care, self-love, mental health, wellness and spirituality. Both her art and fantasy books reflect the magical world of her imaginarium, featuring surreal, dreamy visuals and storylines. With a BA in English Language and Literature and a Master’s in Irish Studies, Lumen has always had an appreciation for art, books, psychology, cats, twilight skies, and ancient Celtic cultures.
