Tips To Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance is often used to describe a trade-off. You balance the time spent on work projects versus time spent with family, friends, and personal interests.
Having more on your plate than you can handle is the automatic trigger for the stress response. So are unrealistic deadlines and unspoken expectations. To get things under perceived control, the key to managing stress, requires adjustments to the task and operations side as well as self-management strategies to reframe reactions and emotions.
Signs your work-life balance needs a reset
You Never Have Time For Yourself
If you feel like you never have time for yourself, take time out for yourself by going on a date night or spending some time with your friends.
You feel incompetent
No matter what you do, it feels like it’s never enough. You’re always behind and the quality of your work may suffer. You worry constantly about your job performance. You fear (but maybe also secretly fantasize about) being fired.
There are no clear boundaries between work and home
Maybe your workplace isn’t encouraging healthy habits. For example, you find yourself working longer and longer hours. You can’t take time off without getting calls, texts and emails from work. You feel like you have to be available around the clock.
Tips to improve your work-life balance
Manage your time
Whether you are at home or at the office, it is critical to make use of your time efficiently. Don’t let personal issues spill over to the workplace, and equally, if not more important, keep your work issues at the office. v
Use your lunch break
If you have a lunch break at your place of work, it’s your right to use it. This means you shouldn’t be expected to always eat at your desk and work through lunch.
Make time for yourself and your loved ones
When planning time with your loved ones, create a calendar for romantic and family dates. It may seem weird to plan one-on-one time with someone you live with, but it will ensure that you spend quality time with them without work-life conflict. Just because work keeps you busy doesn’t mean you should neglect personal relationships.
Set goals and priorities
Set achievable goals by implementing time-management strategies, analyzing your to-do list, and cutting out tasks that have little to no value. Structuring your day can increase productivity at work, which can result in more free time to relax outside of work.
Healthy Eating Habits
The types of food you eat greatly affect your mood, sleeping patterns, and overall health. Just one week of fast food can make you run-down, irritable, and exhausted. Don’t have time to go out every day if you work from an office? Take the time to pack a lunch, or consider asking your office manager for healthy snack options.
Learn to say ‘No’
Say ‘No’ to things that do not align with your personal goals. Often we spend too much engaging in activities or taking up tasks that do not contribute to our goals. It is okay to say no sometimes.
Seek a professional help from Dr. Carla if you didn’t find these tips helpful.
