Best ways to achieve work-life balance for your productivity and well-being
- Updated on: June 18, 2024
One of the most important questions for every adult in 21st century is how do you manage work-life balance and is it even possible? We have to admit that “having it all” culture is creating a lot of stress and burnout for people that are striving to gain success, be productive and also have time to enjoy their life. The answer is – we don`t have to get everything perfectly done and we don`t have to have it all and at once. But there are ways that we can reach a healthier work-life balance and this blog will show you how to do that.
Work-life balance is the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with the amount of time that you spend with your family, friends and doing things you enjoy. So when work demands more of your time, energy and attention, you subsequently have less time to manage your other responsibilities be it family activities, time dedicated to friends or your hobbies.
Feeling overworked can lead to stress, burnout and decrease your motivation at work. Therefore, finding a balance between working productively and having enough time and energy to enjoy life outside of work is important to your long-term success.
The development of technology has made it possible to work outside of the office which makes achieving a healthy work-life balance more difficult when you can continue working at all times and are available to everyone and to many distractions also on your time off. In this article you will be able to learn how you can achieve work-life balance and how it can benefit your career and well-being.
Know your values
Your values are the things, people, places, routines that you have acknowledged important in the way you live and work. These values then determine your priorities and help you establish your course and actions in life as well as measure your successes and goals. When your life mostly matches your values – you feel good and you are content with the things that happen around you and inside you physically and mentally.
But when certain events, situations in life don’t align with your personal values, that’s when things feel wrong, what can lead to feeling frustrated and unhappy. That is why your values matter in the larger scale of this work-life balance dilemma – the values you choose for yourself will help you even out the balance and choose more of things, activities and people that bring you positive feelings and bring more meaning to your life. Try to spend some time thinking about what is important to you in life and it will help you make more mindful and better choices about things that matter the most.
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Practice time management
Do you ever wonder where the day or even week went? Time flies by quickly when you don`t keep track of it. Time management is essential because it helps you use time wisely and lets you become more focused and productive when you are in charge of how you use your time. As productivity leads to profitability – good time management will lead to better productivity and better work-life balance. The benefits of effective time management are plenty – less stress, increased focus, less distraction, more energy, motivation and more time for yourself.
You can improve your time management skills by implementing certain strategies such as:
- Create a plan;
- Make a to-do list;
- Divide tasks into smaller chunks;
- Delegate tasks;
- Set up deadlines;
- Minimize distractions;
- Avoid multitasking;
- Stick to a schedule.
Set boundaries
Knowing how to set boundaries is one of the most essential and overlooked social skill to master if you strive to maintain a good work-life balance. Personal boundaries are at the basis of a fulfilled, balanced life. Without them you can quickly lose yourself in the work, relationships, personal and family obligations, or in service to others. Boundaries can even be exploited or taken advantage of by people who do not respect them. People with healthy boundaries tend to have lower levels of stress and higher self-esteem because they prioritize their well-being.
Unclear work-life boundaries can lead to emotional exhaustion. If you want to reclaim your energy, time, and productivity – setting boundaries is essential for your personal growth journey. The limits you set in your life will shape your growth and relationships with people around you. At the end of the day you have limited time, energy, and emotional capacity. If you do not protect your personal well-being, nobody else will.
Enjoy your work
Your work is a big part of your life – it`s what you do every single day. That is the reason why you should find ways to enjoy your work and do the things that make you feel good and motivated rather then feeling tired, pressured and dreading your next workday or assignment.
Your attitude toward your work will eventually affect your mood and well-being. If you struggle to find the motivation to go to work and resent the time you are there when you could be elsewhere, you will create a negative attitude that can take over other aspects of your life. This can negatively affect your performance at work as well as your relationships with coworkers, friends and family. Dissatisfaction at work can also lead to depression, burnout and other mental health issues, that is why it is important that you find ways to enjoy your job.
Focus on your health physically and mentally
When you find yourself constantly busy at work and other matters, you are not paying enough attention to your health and well-being. That is when you must take a break from the stressful routine and develop some healthy habits. Good sleep, eating well and exercise will provide your body and brain with tools for managing stress, depression and anxiety. True well-being comes with balance, constant growth and acceptance.
Just remember not to take life too seriously. People who remain happy, positive, laugh more and try to look after themselves – experience better quality of life than those who are worried and stressed all the time. Staying healthy, happy and taking care of your self is essential for a quality life and quality work.
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Dedicate time for your hobbies
Did you know that having a hobby can lessen stress, improve brain function, and even improve your heart health? Find and practice new hobbies as they help us keep busy and engaged and entertained by giving purpose to life. When you have an interest in some of your favorite activities and enjoy doing them, you take healthy steps to improve your emotional well-being. It also keeps the pressures of work and daily life off your brain.
Engaging in new hobbies is great for strengthening your brain functions and boosting your mood as well as productivity. When you take time to do activities that make you happy, it helps improve mental health. Giving quality time to activities that you enjoy also helps your performance in your professional life. It improves your creative problem-solving abilities and helps you build better relationships with your coworkers and other people in your life, and makes you more motivated and socially active.
Nurture strong relationships
The support of your social circle like family and friends can provide comfort, support, and can contribute better health outcomes when you get sick. There are many benefits for your health and well-being when you take time for your special people, because only your closest ones, the people that are your friends and family know how to make you feel loved, cared for and deeply understood. But no relationship can survive on its own – it needs the care and nurturing that creates a mutually beneficial connection.
Whether they are with a parent, spouse, or child, or your boss, team, co-worker, or a business partner, your most important relationships are worth the time and effort you invest into them. Good relationships not only make working easier and much more pleasant, they also improve productivity. Strong relationships cultivate trust and mutual respect, they take effort and hard work, but like anything important in our life, they are worth guarding, fostering and preserving.
Pause and evaluate
Sometimes it is necessary to stop and reflect on the current moment to review and evaluate if the path you take leads you to where you want to go. Do you actually know what creates a deeper meaning to your existence and if what you do makes sense and adds value to your life? Evaluate the direction you want to continue to discover what is possible for you in life and how to reach your fullest potential.
Sometimes the best we can do is to pause between all the busyness and daily grind, endless to-do lists and be still for a moment to reflect and observe. Maybe you can dedicate a day, a time and a place to take the time off to pause, reflect, evaluate and celebrate your achievements, even the smallest goals and how far you have come. And if you do that regularly, you might develop a new habit for yourself.
In conclusion
Life can be busy and overwhelming at times. There is always work to be done and new tasks piling up, chores and errands to be run, people and relationships to take care of, and deadlines to meet. If you are not careful, it’s easy to get too busy and caught up in the small things, but end up achieving very little. Therefore, it’s important to not only slow down, but to take a minute to pause and reflect before continuing with the journey ahead. The modern life desire to succeed professionally at all costs can push us to set aside our own well-being. Creating a harmonious work-life balance or work-life integration is critical, to improve not only our physical, emotional and mental well-being, but it’s also important for our professional career.
Work-life balance will mean different things to different people as we all have different life commitments and path in life. This balance is a very subjective personal goal and may vary, because only you can decide what steps will work for you. Just remember to enjoy your work, but take time to pause and focus on your health as well as nurturing your closest relationships; then you will have energy for the tings you love. When you are clear on your values, it is easier to set boundaries and manage your time, knowing that you can manage to do all the things you want and need for your personal and professional development.
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