It’s the ideal situation everyone strives for, but it can often feel impossibly out of reach.
So how exactly can you strive for a healthy balance between work and your personal life?
Learn When to Say No
As long as you fill your contractual obligations and work the hours you’re expected to work, everything else is optional and a bonus. Nobody likes having to say no to their boss if they are looking you straight in the eye and pleading with you to do something extra, but consider your own health and personal plans before you agree to do any overtime.
Furthermore, if you feel as though you’ve been saying yes a little too much, then learn when it’s time to say no – for the good of your health.
Know When to Take a Vacation
There is a reason you are permitted a certain amount of vacation days a year, because it’s absolutely fine to take them. You earn your vacation days by working hard, so taking them on a regular basis is essential for a good work-life balance.
Pay attention to signs in your body and mind, too, which may be red flags for desperately needing a vacation, such as being on the risk of burnout or any health issues like feeling run down or anxious.
If working too hard is also affecting your health and motivation levels, you may want to consider a Fitness Holiday with Ultimate Fitness. This can provide the perfect escape to a health-oriented bootcamp where you can escape your work for a while and concentrate on your own wellbeing and getting back to the fitness level you would like to be at, in order to return to work more energized and balanced.
Keep Work Communication Separate
It’s so simple nowadays to log into your work information from anywhere, on any device. All it takes is for a work email to come through while you are at home, and reading it means you are dragged back into your working mindset. Try to keep all work communication separate, and have a separate email account if you can, which you only check within work hours, and switch off any work-related electronics such as mobile and laptop when you are at home or not working.
Don’t be tempted to check them – and if it’s easier, leave them at the office.
Plan Your Working Schedule
If you are contracted to a certain number of hours in your position, fulfil the minimum and anything extra should not be viewed as obligatory. You can always offer to work more hours if you are comfortable and able to do so every now and again, but understanding in advance when you are working and for how long is key to a good balance.
If you work freelance or for yourself, then plan ahead for your working week. Plan set start and work times that fit around your schedule, and stop when you have reached your maximum work hours and when you plan to stop. Don’t be tempted to continue working just because you can, or feel as though you need to work 24/7 to fulfil your entrepreneurial or freelance goals.
Having a schedule and sticking to it makes it a lot easier to arrange your social and relaxation time around this.
