As the world is technologically advancing and we have grown increasingly connected to the rest of the world at all times, it is getting harder for us to separate work from our personal life. We are readily available to answer emails, take business calls and work throughout the day and even on weekends. With every passing day, it is becoming tougher to achieve work-life balance in the modern unpredictable and fast-paced world. After the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world and all of us were forced to work from our homes, the imaginary line separating our personal life from work blurred to a point where it almost vanished.
A balance between your work and personal life is an essential aspect of a healthy work environment. Maintaining a work-life balance prevents burnout in the workplace and reduces stress, one of the most common health issues. Chronic stress can lead to physical consequences, digestive problems, heart problems, hypertension, and chronic aches and pains. It can also cause various mental and emotional issues by negatively impacting mental health and poses a higher risk of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Being under too much stress for too long can cause workplace burnout. Burnout causes problems like irritability, mood swings, fatigue, frustration and a decrease in work performance.
By creating a balanced and healthy work environment that prioritizes the personal life of their employees, employers can save on the cost of burned-out employees and create a more productive and healthier workforce.
Sometimes it is hard for some of us to find a proper work-life balance, which leads to frustration, decreased work performance, and several physical and mental health issues.
If you are one such person who hasn’t yet achieved a proper work-life balance, here is a list of tips that can help out.
1. Learn to say No
You need to decide who you want to build a relationship with, what you want to do, and where you want to spend your time. Most of the time we find it hard to say ‘no’ to a lot of things due to the fear of coming across as rude or impolite, and end up in difficult situations by saying ‘yes’ to things you could’ve easily avoided.
It is important to have the self-respect, confidence and courage to say no to things that you don’t want to do and live your life on your terms. Once you start saying no to most things, you will automatically become more present and focused on things that you want to do.
2. Prioritize
Do the things that are critical and must be done that day only. Prioritize your day and what needs to be achieved, on that day itself. If you are exhausted, you don’t have to burn yourself and do the unnecessary stuff just because it is on your To-Do List for the day. You can push them back or postpone them for when you have the time and energy to do so. Having too many things to do on your list and not being able to complete them at the end of the day affects your motivation and energy level.
3. Make time for your hobby every day
We often forget to make time for and do the things that we enjoy doing and bring us joy as we continue getting sucked into the whirlwind of work pressure. One of the best ways to relieve stress and bring a balance into your life is to do something that you love to do every day. It could be meditating, playing an instrument, dancing, reading, walking, cooking, or gardening. Anything that you are passionate about and doing that brings you happiness and positivity. Try to carve out time from your everyday busy life to do this one thing, and it will help you reconnect with what you truly love.
4. Rejuvenation days
A simple way on how to create a healthy environment for higher productivity and creativity is to take some time off and completely remove yourself from work-related activities to rejuvenate. You will gain some clarity on what’s important and feel energized, motivated, and refreshed after taking some time off.
Taking more rejuvenation days means investing some time in yourself, which naturally means creating more balance. Take a weekend getaway, go on a solo trip, or you can also sit and relax at home, but rejuvenation days are important for your mental health.
5. Spend more time with your loved ones
This is arguably one of the best ways in the world to relieve stress. Spending time with your close ones can automatically uplift your mood and lower your stress level, if not make it disappear completely. You can spend time with your family, friends, partner, pets, or anyone who you love spending time with.
6. Journaling
The habit of writing in your journal may seem like a small step but is quite transformative. Your journal is a safe space where you can vent out and write your raw and creative thoughts. Writing in your journal is an escape. Committing to writing every day in your journal, even if it is for five minutes, is a very productive habit. The time you spend journaling is also the time you are solely focusing on your thoughts alone which is important to maintain balance because most of the time, we are so involved in other activities that we don’t even have the time to hear our thoughts.
7. Focus on Results
There is absolutely no point in spending long, tiring hours on something which does not prove to be productive. It is important to focus your time and energy on achieving results rather than working without any set goals. You will naturally free up more time to live and enjoy a well-balanced life when you simplify and sort your areas of focus.
Avoid getting trapped into doing countless unproductive activities that mentally and physically drain you out and take you away from building momentum in moving forward towards your ultimate goal. Instead of being pulled into multiple directions and taking on too many projects that are bound to leave you burned-out, frustrated and uncommunicative at the end of the day, focus your attention on a smaller number of projects and deliver maximum impact. This way you will have a bigger sense of achievement, motivation, satisfaction and confidence.