Achieving Your Best Work Life Balance

Continuing this week’s focus on balance, today we’re looking at ways to best achieve a healthy work life balance. This tips tackle approaches that address both the “work” and “life” components of this concept, helping you to find your footing both in the workplace and beyond. We know it can be easy to feel off-kilter amidst our current circumstances, and that it be hard to take a step back to figure out gameplans while you’re already in the middle of tackling your tasks. Take a deep breath. It’s okay to devote time and energy to both strategizing and relaxing! Both are key elements of not only achieving but maintaining your personal best work life balance. Read on below for what the pros have to say about ways to establish your own sense of equilibrium.

We love this method from the pros at Mental Health America for ways to better tackle the “work” component of work life balance: “Be efficient with your time at work. When we procrastinate, the task often grows in our minds until it seems insurmountable. So when you face a big project at work or home, start by dividing it into smaller tasks. Complete the first one before moving on to the next. Give yourself small rewards upon each completion, whether it’s a five minute break or a walk to the coffee shop. If you feel overwhelmed by routines that seem unnecessary, tell your boss. The less time you spend doing busy work or procrastinating, the more time you can spend productively, or with friends or family.” We encourage you to write down your to do list! Whether it’s by hand or typed up, the feeling of crossing off an item will leave you with a sense of accomplishment that provides an extra mood boost during your workday. Make sure you’re not completely erasing your accomplishments—after all, if you’ve completed an item on your list, that’s an achievement worth celebrating! While it might feel counter intuitive, we love the way this strategy from the pros highlights the importance of taking time to reward yourself during your workday as a way to reinvigorate your brain. Engaging in those acts of positivity will help balance out any professional difficulties you may face. 

And make sure to also check out this spectacular tip from Erin Greenawald at The Muse as Erin offers up thoughts on Taking Time for You after your workday is over: “It’s important to remember that free time doesn’t have to be available time. In other words, just because Wednesday night is empty on your calendar, doesn’t mean you have to say ‘yes’ when your co-worker asks you to go to an event with her. It’s important to remind yourself that you can turn invitations down for no other reason than you want that time to yourself, that your free time can be just that—free.” We know that with so many events online these days providing easily accessible opportunities to grow, play, and learn, it can be easy to overbook yourself. But it’s necessary to maintain your balance by making time for yourself amidst that flurry of potential activity. Downtime is an essential component of resting and recharging, and you’ll want to make sure you’re taking time for yourself when you can during the week—not only on the weekends! It’s okay to prioritize yourself and engage in self-care after work. That way you’ll be able to show up as your best, balanced self each and every day in your workplace.

Recognize that “big” projects can be broken down into smaller tasks. And that you don’t have to achieve all of them all at once! Take each moment of each day as it comes to you, and you’ll be able to make the most efficient use of your time at work. When it comes to the “life” side of today’s advice, remember that while productivity can be a key element of your workplace performance, knowing when to pump the breaks is just as important. Make sure that you’re taking time for yourself to engage in activities that you enjoy, just because you enjoy them! Doing so will allow you to recharge your batteries and achieve your best work life balance. Visit us again tomorrow for a midweek mood boost with our Wednesday Wellness: Balance edition.

Image retrieved from Pixabay under the public domain.

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