Organization Tips for a Better Work-Life Balance

What is work-life balance?

Essentially, a good work-life balance can allow someone to create harmony between both areas of your life. You’ll have the capacity to complete tasks in a professional capacity and still haver time and energy to spend on things in your personal life, like your family, friends, and hobbies. Maintaining a healthy balance between your personal and professional life is important for handling stress, which if not managed, can lead to physical and mental issues, as well as burnout at work.

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Some signs that you need a better work-life balance include:

• Not getting enough sleep
• Failing to meet deadlines
• Self-care suffers
• Stress and anxiety
• Working after hours

Thankfully, there are some ways to get back on track. These tips to improve your work-live balance can make a huge difference in your life.

Tips for how to improve work-life balance

If some of the signs above hit a little too close to home, there are some definite ways you can create healthy boundaries to keep your work from bleeding into your personal life.

Establish Boundaries

In a perfect situation, you spend eight hours at work, 8 hours asleep, and the remaining eight hours is dedicated to yourself, your family, and your hobbies. However, this isn’t always feasible. Life can be hard to predict but it’s important to set a hard stop for work each day, so that you feel more motivated to use your time “at work” each day effectively. Set a realistic schedule for yourself about when you’re going to be at work and what time is for yourself and stick to it. Try not to check or respond to work emails after your cutoff point and make a point not to complete any work during your personal time. Maintaining a regular schedule for working hours can help you stay on task and keep work from bleeding into your personal life.

Get in a Routine

Starting and ending your day can help your feel more on track. In the morning you might exercise, take a few minutes to do a crossword puzzle or catch up on the news, and sit down with your family for breakfast. This can help you start your day in the right mindset, especially if you stick it. On the flip side, before you go to bed, laying out your clothes for the following day and making a list of tasks you need to accomplish can help you clear your mind and prepare for what’s to come.

Reduce Distractions at Work

It can be so easy to zone out while you’re supposed to be working and lose hours scrolling on social media sites. One way to reduce distractions during the time you’ve allotted for work is to focus on short bursts of productivity. Use a timer if you need to and work as diligently as possible during the time you’ve set, then take a quick break to help reset your brain. If your phone is a distraction, turn off notifications or place it out of sight. Turn off instant messages. Work in a quiet room to keep others from bothering you and breaking your focus, if need be. Do whatever works for you to keep yourself focused on work while you’re working, rather that using that time for other things.

Take Frequent Breaks

Set an alarm to remind yourself to get up and walk around a few times a day. Take a break between meetings and calls to allow yourself to decompress. Schedule and take a lunch break so that you’re guaranteed some personal time during the day. Alternately, schedule a casual meeting with a coworker to talk about non-work topics. These breaks will help your brain and body to feel reenergized, especially if you’re having a stressful week. Most office jobs have built in breaks, as coworkers stop and chat with each other, but if you’re working from home, you may have to force yourself to pause and relax.

Stay Organized

At its core, finding a good work-life balance is all about good time management. One way to start is by identifying important tasks and upcoming deadlines. Make a list of things that absolutely have to get done and prioritize them. It might be helpful to make a list of everything you have to do in a given day, in and outside of work, so that you can have a better idea if how to structure your day. Make sure you’re not trying to take on more than you have physical or mental room for, and consider using a planner, app, or calendar like the one found within Microsoft Outlook.

Don’t be afraid to ask from help from your family, friends, and coworkers to help you stay on task during designated work times. If others distract you, ask for privacy. If you need someone to gently guide you back to a task on hand, let someone know so they can best assist you. It’s important to understand how to stay on task so that you can use your work hours effectively and keep your professional life from bleeding into your personal life. These tips can help you understand how to better focus your energy on what’s important in work and with your friends, family, and yourself.