5 Ways to Improve Your Work-Life Balance Starting Today
Whether you’re a solopreneur or work a 9 to 5 job, maintaining a work-life balance should be a priority. This is what will allow you to not only preserve your sanity, but perform better on the days you do have to work.
Some people neglect their work-life balance thinking that it will be beneficial for their business or career, but it always comes back to bite them. You should never sacrifice your life for work and you will need to have a system in place so you can keep both of these areas separated. Here are a few ways that you can improve your work-life balance starting today.
Forget the Idea of a Perfect Work-Balance
First of all, you have to accept that you’ll never be able to establish a perfect work-life balance. We would all love to be able to have intense productive days at work and spend the rest of our days having a blast with our friends. Instead of trying to aim for a perfect schedule, try going for a realistic one.
There are some days when you’ll have to dedicate yourself more to work and others when you’ll need to concentrate on your family. You never know when you’ll have to fulfill personal or professional obligations. So, you will need to be fluid and let people at work and in your personal life know that they will need to give you some space to breathe from time to time.
Make the Best Out of Your Days Off
Days off should be sacred to you and you have to be willing and ready to say no if your employer is constantly asking you to fill in for people during that time. This is when you need to reconnect with the people closest to you and allow your mind to be completely free of anything that has to do with work.
This could be a great time to scratch things off your to-do list, start a new hobby, or go on a coffee date. One thing you have to be very careful not to do, however, is sleep late. We know it might be tempting to shut your alarm off during the weekends, but this could have negative effects on your sleep rhythms.
If you want to learn more about the effects of sleeping in on off days, you can get more information over at Rise. Their article introduces the principle of sleep debt and how sleeping in can reduce it. However, they also explain why sleeping in could be bad for your internal clock and make it tougher to sleep during the week. This is why you may need to think twice about oversleeping on the weekends and consider keeping your regular schedule for consistency.
Do Work that You Love
They say that when you do something you love it doesn’t feel like a job, but a purpose. While some people think that the idea of pursuing your passion is overrated, trying to establish a sound work-life balance doing something you absolutely hate will be difficult.
It’s impossible to have a good work-life balance when your work makes you miserable. The life aspect will be affected and even if you wished to do something constructive in your free time, you might be too mentally exhausted from your job to do anything.
While you don’t need to love every single part of the job, you should still feel a sense of excitement when you get up in the morning. If you want to find the perfect job for you, you should ask yourself if you would be willing to do it for free. If the answer is a resounding yes, then you may have found your match.
Look After Your Health First
Your emotional, physical, and mental health should always be a priority no matter what. If you feel like you may need therapy or counseling, then you will need to fit your life and work schedules around them. If you’re dealing with a chronic illness, don’t hesitate to call in sick so you can recover. Taking a day off will allow you to come back better and stronger while overworking yourself will only hurt your performance and productivity.
Unplug
You also shouldn’t be afraid to get off the grid from time to time. Unplugging can be a great way to relieve some of the stress you’ve accumulated during the week. You don’t have to constantly disconnect from the outside world, however. You can decide to only take a social media break for the day, for instance. But, if you want the most benefits, you should consider disconnecting yourself completely at least for a day and let everyone close to you know in advance. This could be a great opportunity to catch up on an interesting novel, work on personal development, or reconnect with nature.
There are plenty of things that you can do to restore a proper work-life balance in your life. Follow these tips and always remember to put yourself first in any situation.
