Do you find yourself wearing too many hats throughout the day? Do you take work home and think about home while you are at work? Do you make decisions based on the priorities in your life?
Finding a balance between our professional and personal lives is a challenge we all struggle with. Trying to achieve that work-life balance is not as difficult as it may appear. Researchers have found that finding that balance, will offer many benefits to both your personal and professional life. So, what are some of the most practical strategies to maintain a good work-life balance? Here’s what experts at the British Council have discovered.
Tip One: Are you a perfectionist? Do you have an OCDish tendency to keep your house excessively clean, arranging things in a particular and precise way or repeatedly checking on things? Start ignoring small things around the house that adds unnecessary stress and eats into your precious time.
Tip Two: If exercise was not a part of your life earlier, then it’s time to add it. Start with at least ten minutes a day. Meditate, dance, do yoga, exercise - do anything, but do something! Next time, instead of unwinding in front of the television, try a simple activity to unwind. Give meditation, prayer, or yoga a try, or go to a park and enjoy nature.
Tip Three: Do you feel like you have to control everything around you? Believe me, you can’t. Life will throw unexpected things at you. Start becoming flexible and you will see a world of difference. Never let your vacation time lapse. Instead, always use it up – and use some of it to just stay at home and try some new things or complete some personal projects left undone.
Tip Four: Pursue hidden desires and hobbies. Take regular breaks to allow your mind (and body) a break from tasks can be very helpful if they’re brief and spread apart. If you’re focused on your tasks for an hour or two, then take a short break and do something completely different. Make it your goal to take intermittent breaks without any professional distractions - a ten-minute break where you get a healthy snack to eat, drink some water and do something as interesting as playing the guitar. But do get back to work reasonably quickly.
Tip Five: Create different pockets. We work for ourselves and our families, but we give time neither to ourselves nor to our families. Start small but allot time for both. Start playing silly games. Start listening to music. Your stress levels will automatically become lower. And, the next time when you’re talking about a raise, instead talk about getting a more flexible work schedule.