For many professionals, finding a balance between work and personal priorities can seem impossible to achieve.
With all of the unexpected tasks, last-minute fire drills and daily
distractions that can arise during the work day, your to-do list only
seems to grow.
With this comes high levels of stress and often late nights in the office, all in all resulting in a poor work/life balance.
Moreover, while your workload may not lessen, you still have obligations to yourself and your loved ones outside the office.
So how do you achieve this sought-after equilibrium?
Below, check out five tips to master a healthy work/life balance.
- Master your own schedule
While it may sound simple, the "skill" of organizing your daily or
weekly calendar can be difficult to master. It can be helpful to combine
your professional tasks and personal tasks in the same calendar. This
will help you avoid double-booking or forgetting about important to-dos.
Furthermore, it's good to be aware of the resources that are available
to help keep you organized. Tools like Timebridge, which simplifies your
scheduling, can help streamline this process for you with the touch of a
button.
- Succeed at time management
The key to success with time management is to first begin by
prioritizing. Along with this comes the importance of an organized to-do
list.
There are a ton of different ways to keep a to-do list, whether paper
or digital. One great online tool to help you organize your priorities
is Wunderlist, which helps you tick off all your personal and
professional to-dos, and allows you to set reminders to make sure you
really stay on track.
Furthermore, becoming a master of time management really means finding a
process that works best for you. Whether it's creating a weekly task
list, or a calendar reminder for all deadlines, once you find out how
you work best, stick to that method.
- Minimize distractions
We live in a world of distractions, making it tough to stay on track.
From Facebook to G-chat, it takes a level of dedication and self-control
to remain entirely focused throughout the day.
It's a wise idea to schedule a few small breaks each day (even 10
minutes will do) to check your text messages or scroll through your
Instagram feed. If you're finding that you can't help but keep checking
your phone, try shutting it off completely.
It takes practice to resist temptation, but if you can't help but
continue texting, it may be helpful to shut off distractions altogether
and allow yourself those breaks to engage with your social circle.
- Ask for help
Too much on your plate can lead to feeling out of control and overwhelmed. Knowing when to ask for help is important.
When you have a trusting staff, delegating tasks can go a long way to
achieving a healthy work/life balance. Learning how to let go and
delegate tasks effectively can allow you to free up some of your much
needed personal time.
Doing so can ensure you have enough time at work to handle the top
priorities and leave enough time after work to focus on your personal
life.
- Unplug
Some industries do require an "always-on" workflow, but this can be detrimental to one's mental health and well-being.
Constantly checking your emails, voicemails, etc., can interfere with
your personal life and lead you to an extremely unhealthy work/life
balance.
To help prevent this from happening, make sure to dedicate your time at
home to unwinding, enjoying personal hobbies, and socializing with your
friends and family.
It's important to leave your professional life at work as much as you can and limit yourself from mixing the two to achieve a healthy work/life balance.
Striking a balance is very difficult but with practice it is possible.
If it's easier, try introducing these steps one by one, but the
improvement in your overall day will have you fully on board in no time.
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