7 WAYS TO ACHIEVE YOUR WORK LIFE BALANCE
Striking a healthy balance in work and profession is a difficult challenge even in the best of times, but it is all the more daunting and necessary during times of economic stagnation and uncertainty. Here, we aren’t talking about economic collapses alone but even during rapid growth phases it becomes difficult to strike that balance.
Today’s portable electronic devices (mobile) have blurred the line between work and home. Gone are the days when leaving the office or shop meant leaving our work behind. Today employees/representatives are available to their supervisors, coworkers, and customers around the clock.
Today work-life balance ranks as one of the most important workplace attributes –second only to compensation, and workers who feel they have a better work-life balance tend to work harder than employees who feel overworked.
TRACK YOUR TIME
Analyzing your present situation is the beginning step in achieving a balanced life. Keep a time log of everything you do for one week, including work-related and personal activities. This data will serve as an eye-opener, helping you understand how you are using– and where you are losing– your time.
USE TECHNOLOGY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
Technology should help make your life easier, not control it. Ban technology at certain times so that you can focus on your family or friends.
DETERMINE YOUR PRIORITIES
Spend some time seriously reflecting on what is most important to you, and make a list of your top priorities at work and at home. Then analyze your time audit by asking yourself these key questions: What do I need to Start doing? Stop doing? Continue doing? Do more of? Do less of? Do differently?
TELECOMMUTE
Telecommuting a few times a week could help free up valuable hours. You’ll be able to focus on work for long stretches at a time and use the extra hours to meet personal responsibilities.
SCHEDULE SCRUPULOUSLY
Successful people plan their work and then work their plan. You have one life, so have one date planner. Whether paper or electronic, this is the vehicle by which you turn your priorities and goals into reality. Set aside 10 to 20 minutes at the beginning of each day (or the night before) to plan your tasks and activities for the day and evening ahead.
LEAVE WORK AT WORK
Develop a mental on-off switch between work and home. It helps to establish a transitional activity between the two realms. This might consist of listening to music or recorded books during your evening commute, exercising at the fitness center, running errands, or keeping personal appointments. Scheduling such activities immediately following your normal work hours also prevents you from spending that extra twenty minutes at the office which then turns into several hours.
LEARN TO SAY “NO.”
Remember that you can respectfully decline offers to serve on an extra committee at work. When you stop doing things out of guilt, you’ll find more time to focus on the activities that truly bring you joy. It takes a concerted effort to get in shape and a continued effort to stay that way. But those who commit themselves to this quest reap enormous health and quality-of-life benefits.
It is possible to have a successful professional career and a fulfilling personal life. Take control of your work. Be proactive with your time. Get a (balanced) life.
In contrast, numerous studies have shown the most productive employees are well-rounded professionals with full and well-balanced lives – both in and out of the workplace. Likewise, the most successful companies are those that foster employee health and well-being while enhancing organizational performance and productivity.