10 Ways to Create a Better Work Life Balance
The information provided is from my own experience and may not work for everyone. I am not a professional nor claim to be. Please read my disclaimer for more information.
Do you ever feel anxiety rising when it the weekend starts to end and its Sunday - when you start thinking about work on Monday?
I know that feeling all too well. Hitting that alarm, waking up and making yourself stand up, and get dressed just to go to an office filled with people who think you are happy and have it all together - but you’re actually hiding pain on the inside.
Or maybe it has gone even further, and everyone can see how sad and pained you are, and it has been affecting your work performance.
Again, I have been there! As I am sure so many have. In the world we now live in, it feels like we no longer have time for family - we have to work to survive.
And that is just not fair… but it’s true. And you are not alone.
A lot of people struggle to keep a work life balance and coming from a place where at my last job of 13 years, I had to find peace within my mind to keep going.
When I started my business, I thought it would just take off and I would finally be able to quit my job. However, that is not how it worked out and I had to find a way to survive until I could finally quit - working on both my job and my business.
So…
I had to change my mindset and how I approached everything at the office. And I made it! It got easier and easier to go to work - and I actually felt at peace. Now, I no longer work there but I left feeling so much better and now I still follow the methods for a better work-like balance.
Now, I am sharing with you work life balance tips that has worked me and many others! LET’S GET STARTED!
What is a good work life balance anyway?
Work life balance is defined as the capability to successfully manage & control work and non-work tasks.
To reduce stress & anxiety, the feeling of being overwhelmed, and enhance your work performance, a worklife balance system is really important. It’s not only critical to your health but for your mind as well.
1. Make your time count
When you go into the office, remember why you are there. The more you find yourself “bored” you start to lose why you are there in the first place. Keep yourself busy, finding even the littlest things to work on can make your day go by faster.
Although you spend most of your time with the people at the office and it can be nice to just let loose and talk about life, (which is absolutely necessary), you want to make sure that you complete as many tasks as you can for the day so when you go home.
you don’t want to feel that anxious or worried feeling of having to go in the next day and finish those tasks before you can start on your new tasks. Of course, there is a line when it comes to how much time you let loose and converse with team members, but I will talk more on that next.
Making your time count is vital for a few reasons - you don’t get this time back, so make it count!
Then you feel accomplished at the end of each day by staying busy and completely your tasks.
2. Boundaries
It can be hard to set boundaries when it comes to the workplace; however, you have set boundaries so that you accomplish what you came in to do. When your time at the office is done, it’s equally important to incorporate boundaries that includes not taking work home or if you work at home, don’t work in your bedroom so that you can get off at that 5 or 6 o’clock timeframe.
You want to refrain from checking your work email after work or on the weekends.
Obviously, there will be times when you have to but for the most part, keep work at work and your home life all about your home life. This helps separate your time so that you can be with family, friends, or sometimes even better - just be alone.
3. Multitasking
Multitasking can be effective when it comes to tasks that need to be done, making it possible to free up time elsewhere so that you can either leave the office early run errands you may not have time to do after 5 o’clock or if you work at home, you can do things around the house you never seem to have time to get to.
It truly can enhance your work-life balance by freeing up time in one place to do something else in another.
However, it is not for everyone! It is okay that it works better for you if you are doing one thing at a time! Keep in mind that you can slowly add small tasks in between and this helps you get more done - but don’t stray away from your major job.
If you are easily distracted, maybe focusing on one thing is YOUR THING!
4. Resist perfection
Now this can be hard and may sound absolutely absurd… But it’s true! Do your job, do it right, but you do not have to be perfect at every single task. Going back a hundred times to fix all those little things that you caught while going back through it over and over, just does not work for creating a better work life. Seriously, it causes stress, anxiety, and the feeling of being overwhelmed, plus you feel like things are left “unfinished” when you leave for the day. This can make you want to continue working and bring it home or work way past the time to clock out.
You know how to do your job so do it and move on to the next task.
That does not mean be sloppy or leave all tasks unfinished by any means. It just means, you do not have to be perfect or go through everything multiple times. You will get so much more done if you train your brain to finish the job and move on to the next.
5. Allow for flexibility
A number one priority that should be on your list is flexibility. Whether that is taking out some time in your day to eat with a friend or family member or even just taken time out to eat. For me, I had a hard time stopping work and taking time to eat.
A lot of employees, including myself at one time, worked through their lunch, never took breaks, and never made time to catch their breath.
Maybe you have a hard time making time for anything at all - like that cute play your niece was having, or maybe going to the doctor’s appointment that you have rescheduled four times because you decide that you have to work instead.
At the end of the day, it is so important to make time for these things. Your health, your mind, and your sanity matter.
Work will still be there but if you don’t take care of yourself, you will not be able to focus or work well - causing all kinds of other health problems. So, make time for yourself within your workday. You will feel much better when you do!
6. Keep track of your progress
I have a habit of tracking everything! And although I probably take it overboard when it comes to tracking, it is important to keep track of your progress.
This also helps to keep things organized, see where you can grow, and/or see where you can cut some things out to make your time count.
When in management, it is really important because this is how you can see where things can be improved - but at the same time, tracking progress also helps keep things clean and structured allowing you to go home without worry of tasks unfinished.
7. Negative environment
Another very important thing to take note of is when you are in a toxic or negative environment, it can be hard to focus on work, be at work, and can even cause unnecessary anxiety and stress. Many people take on the emotions of the people they are sitting with, if around them long enough. It can also get tiresome to hear, see, or be around a negative or toxic environment all the time.
If you feel like that is what you are around then think about speaking with management about moving you, transferring elsewhere, or if nothing else, you will need to figure out a way to block this negativity.
There were many times I would put my headphones on and listen to a podcast, just keeping one earbud in and the other free just in case. And it worked! I stayed busy and enjoyed my podcast without having to be immersed in everyone else’s negativity.
Now you may not have those options, but what other things could you do to block out negativity? You could change the conversation/subject if you are all chatting. You could get them to talk about something more positive.
At the end of the day, it is up to you to make sure that you are in an environment that encourages you somehow; otherwise, coming into work can be very difficult - more importantly, it can end up bringing you and your mindset down.
8. Positive environment
Just like the above where you can take on emotions of those negative and toxic people, you can also be around people that give encouragement, make you feel good, and just feel positivity in the workplace. People that are like-minded and take on a more positive outlook just creates a better day.
When you walk in and you know the people around you are going to be talking about things that are work related, interesting, enlightening, and encouraging, you actually don’t mind going to work. You don’t mind focusing on your tasks… and you have less stress and anxiety.
Then you go home to your family cheerful and even happy rather than the anxiety of having to go back in the next day.
9. Make a list of your Goals for the day
Okay, I know this sounds like a hassle. And if you think about it like that, it can be a hassle. But I have been making my daily goals for a few years and it truly has been a blessing.
Now you may miss a day or two and that is fine but making it a “thing” or “routine” in the morning, you can actually look forward to it after a while. It has made my time-management and organizational skills exceptionally better, and it makes me feel more accomplished.
When you write down your goals, you are putting an imprint on your brain and your brain is categorizing these things as “priority.” Essentially your brain is telling you to check your list every couple of hours to make sure you are checking off your goals for the day.
Try it out and see how it works for you. Make time in the morning or at night before bed to write down your goals for that day or the next - taking about 10-15 for the first time and about 5 minutes after that initial day. You may have some of the same things on your list each day, and that is okay. You are completing each goal you set out to do and you will feel more accomplished!
There are many times when I do not finish my list, so I add to the next day, at the top of this list, so it is usually the first thing I do. In fact, once you do this for a while, on Sundays, you can even add going over your past week goals, just to make sure you are reaching your higher goals (one month, 3 months, and/or year goal.)
This allows you to also separate your work goals from your personal goals! Try it out!
10. Clear visions and goals
Which brings us to the last one on the list, although there are so many more that you can add!
Clear and straightforward written goals are a perfect way to establish a better work-life balance. In fact, it is probably how many people are able to work and keep a positive attitude at their job for so long. But it is also how people are able to work and start a business at the same time, while managing family life, their main job, and life in general. Writing down your goals - being specific of what you want to accomplish each day to get to your 3-month goal, then your 6-month goal, and onto your 1-year goal at the time.
People are more inclined to get things done when they have a clear vision of what they want. However, if you have added the 9 objectives above on top of that, there is a better chance that you will not only be able to create a better work life balance, but you might also be able to add hobbies and passions to your daily routine!
Now, doesn’t THAT sound exciting!
Remember to enjoy your life! You don’t deserve to live a life you don’t want to be in.
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