30 Aug Steps to Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance
It’s no secret that life gets busy, and prioritizing our time takes a back seat. Some people, like the Compass Squad, created new habits for self-care during the quarantine but are now finding it hard to hold onto them. Life gets in the way, and different demands fight for our attention. However, letting the wrong demands, such as long hours at work, gain control of your life can lead to stress. There’s no shortage of studies that link high levels of stress to lower productivity. When stressed, there is less room in your brain for creative thinking, problem-solving, and motivation. The more work, the more stress, and the cycle continues.
If you want to bring your A-game to work, you have to take time off to experience things that make you happy. When you experience joy or fun, it combats all of the nasty symptoms of stress (poor health, insomnia, anxiety, etc.). Despite the evidence that long work hours can harm our health, both employees and employers struggle to take time out for themselves. With jobs that are demanding, exhausting, and stressful, that’s easy to understand. However, it is vital to prioritize personal time and understand what balance means.
To achieve a healthy work-life balance, we must consistently re-evaluate feelings, priorities, and choices. With the steps listed below, you can be on your way to a happier life.
Lose the Fear
To get a healthy work and life balance, you have to lose the fear that not working means you are a failure. When you have completed a day’s work, shut everything down and enjoy the rest of the night, even if you’re not finished with your to-do list.
Schedule Important Personal Activities
Block out your calendar for personal events, such as date nights and exercise, and you’ll find it’s easier to stick to them. Remember, these appointments are just as important as any business meeting.
Reprioritize
Ask yourself: What am I willing to sacrifice, and what is most important to me? Priorities shift throughout life, and you may have to adjust your habits frequently. Most importantly, you do not want to have regrets later for spending too little time on priorities.
Set Boundaries
While some people may appreciate your open-door policy at all hours, you need to set boundaries when you are and are not available. By doing this, you will feel more relaxed when you are off the clock and will avoid burnout. If you’re looking for additional ways to prevent burnout, check out our blog, How to Avoid Burnout at Work.
Turn Off Technology
We are “always-on” with smartphones and the increasing demands for workers. It is helpful to turn off the phones and take technology breaks. This also helps with being more productive!
Schedule Vacation Time
This doesn’t mean you have to take a week or two at one time because, yes, we are busy! Even just a day or two can do wonders to leave you focused and refreshed. If you are so involved in your business that even a day away feels overwhelming, it is time to learn to delegate.
A work-life balance doesn’t mean you will equally distribute the hours of your day between the two. It’s a way of making sure you meet both work and personal priorities. Sometimes this could mean more work hours one day and less on another. For either situation, taking the steps listed above can get you on the right track to developing and maintaining a great life-work balance.
Here’s to your life getting balanced in the best way! 🥂
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