Striking the perfect work-life balance is like searching for the elusive and mythical Atlantis. You feel that you are almost there and then all of a sudden you find yourself totally at sea. On the other hand, there is also the pressure of being a super employee/mum/dad/husband/wife that we are all living under in today’s age, due to which we are stretching ourselves thin trying to do everything and be everything, and somehow miserably failing in the process.
Realizing that you are after all only human, and not a fictional super hero, and doing things that bring you the maximum happiness will help you strike the perfect balance between your work and personal life. Some practical tips that will help you cut down stress and bring back health and harmony to your life follow.
Prioritize: Everything on your to-do list is not and cannot be equally important. Pick out three to five things at the beginning of each day that are actually important and need to be urgently attended, and be happy at the end of the day if the prioritized items get checked. Trying to accomplish each and everything, from making an important presentation to picking up the laundry, all on the same day will take a toll on your health and your personal time. It will also lead to a sense of failure since some things on an unending list may often remain undone. Prioritizing and sticking to your priorities will help you stay focused and stress free.
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Say No: The whole core of work-life balance lies on the premise of doing only things that really need to be done or make you happy. Taking on extra work just because you are unable to say “No” to anyone is the easiest way of running yourself into the ground. The next time someone asks you to help out when you are already short on time or energy, just say no firmly yet politely and move on to carry out the more important tasks in your life.
Relax: Your health and mental state are the first sufferers of a skewed work-life balance. Spending too many extra hours at work and not paying enough attention to diet and exercise will show up in the form of illness sooner than you think. Take time out to take care of yourself, eat on time, exercise a little and practice stress management techniques like meditation or yoga in order to keep yourself physically fit and healthy. This is an important prerequisite to success both in the professional and personal arenas.
Take Time Out For Family And Friends: After you, your family is the immediate sufferer of a work-life imbalance. In most cases, we end up devoting too much time to work to find time for ourselves and our family. It is because of this reason that some family time should be built into your “priority” list of things to do almost every day. Spending time with family and friends is not just good for you and your kids, it will also lead to the creation of a strong support system that you can fall back on in case of hard times.
Take Time Out For Things You Enjoy: Schedule some time every day or every week to indulge in something that you enjoy doing. This could be an old hobby or involve picking up something new that you have always wanted to do. Be ready to sacrifice some extra working hours to get in this “me” time. In the long run, you will notice that doing something enjoyable out of the work and family sphere, only for yourself, will increase your productivity and make you more at peace with yourself.
Remember that work-life balance, like life itself, is constantly changing. You will need to analyse periodically whether a state of harmony exists between your work and personal life and make changes accordingly from time to time in order to be happy and successful. Keeping things balanced will not only make you less stressed and increase positivity, but will also contribute to both short and long term health and happiness.
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