By: Mahalia Latortue
Having a busy schedule can hinder you from having some personal time. It is important for you to maintain a balanced work-life so you don’t feel overwhelmed and aggravated. Maintaining a balanced work life will allow you to remain calm and level-headed.
To help entrepreneurs, managers, and employees strike the right balance, here are five ways to maintain life-work balance. There is no one size fits all approach, but hopefully, these tips will lead to a productive outcome.
1.Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.
Time is the most valuable commodity in life: it is the one thing you cannot buy more of. So, don’t waste time! Focus on what is really important. Scrutinize your day and max out every hour, minute, and second to focus on the most important tasks. For some this may require a high degree of planning and structure, but in the end it will all be worth it.
2. Be open about your needs.
Communication is the key to maintaining a balanced work-life. Do you need to leave work at a certain time so you can have dinner with your family? Do you need to step away before lunch to go on a long walk and re-charge your brain? Whatever your method is you need to find it and be transparent about it. Different jobs will require different approaches, but everyone can benefit from having an open and honest conversation about what balance means. Sit down with your manager or boss and see what you can do.
3. Use the off button.
Every piece of technology has some type of an off button, so use it! I know its not easy and for many people this probably be the hardest thing to do. To make the transition a lot easier, take baby steps. For example,don’t bring your cellphone to the dinner table. Once you have done it a few times, it gets easier. Unplugging from technology allows you to step back and experience one of life’s greatest gifts– perspective. You will think about problems you are wrestling with greater clarity. You allow yourself the freedom to be more analytical and less emotional when you step away and think vs. just diving in and responding in the moment.
4. Set-up and respect your boundaries.
You cannot achieve your balance if you don’t respect the boundaries you have put in place. It will be hard in the beginning but you need to stick with it so you develop a routine. You will find that there is also something else you can do. There is always another email to reply to or a problem to work, but you need to PERSONALLY respect your boundaries. If you don’t then you can’t expect others to respect them.
5. Pace yourself.
To have a long, healthy, productive, and happy life and career you need to understand the value of pace. Don’t try to do everything all out once. Space out your tasks and projects so that their is enough time dedicated to getting them all done.Doing so will help you enjoy the journey as much as the destination.