There should be a time to hang with your friends and a time you dedicate to your job. You should not be losing sleep at night because you have work on your mind! There should always be balance in anything and everything you do. Balance is the secret to making sure things are finished in a timely manner without running around like a mad person. Check out these six ways to maintain a work life balance without losing your cool.
Talk to your manager
Having a healthy relationship with your manager is imperative for a healthy work/life balance. If you cannot communicate effectively with your boss, then there is bound to be chaos in the work place. Of course, it can be somewhat intimidating to express you need a break to your manager but it is important to have that open-door policy with them.
If approached in the right way, a quick meeting can have significant benefits on your work-life balance. It can even mean sharing with your supervisor the workload you have so they know you cannot take on any more projects until the ones you currently have are wrapping up.
Engage in non-work-related activities
Have you noticed that personal conversations with friends or family always turn to work? To keep a good balance, it is important to have conversations about non-work-related things as well. You can shake it up in the office too. Ask a coworker how their weekend was, or if their kids started any new activities. It helps keep a balance of your brain not always being in work mode and differentiate the two.
Alternatively, perhaps trying to open your horizons and engaging in non-work-related things outside of work. Attending a cycle class, aerobics class or even going for a brisk 30-minute walk after work can help lift your mood and clear your thoughts. Or if you just want some good old R&R, it’s important to get a good balance of non-work stuff into your life.
Stay organized
Staying organized can help you have a clear focus of what is priority on your daily tasks. If you do not know what is urgent and what can be pushed out, you can easily fall into a work depression and lose control. Getting yourself a planner and even using your mobile devices as a reminder of meetings can help you stay on top of your work life so it will not spill into your personal life.
Staying organized can also mean staying back five minutes in the afternoon to make sure your desk is clean for when you arrive the next day. The last thing you need is to walk into your office, there is a mess, and you have to clean it up right before an important business call.
Work on work at work
This is a big one, especially for the over-achievers! I strongly encourage you to work on work while at work. Do not take your work home and continue to working on it there. You spend five days a week and countless hours at the office for you to bring your work into your home and not get a break. That is the number one error with losing the balance in a work and life. Keep the two separated, unless for some reason you work from home.
Use your time off
Using your time should be required at all companies. If you have time to use, I encourage you to use it. You worked hard to accrue that time; therefore, you are entitled to use it. That time is designed for you to balance your work and life. Use that time to relax and do something you enjoy doing.
Even a long weekend away can make you revitalized and full of new ideas to come back in and tackle that project. Check out How to Take a Personal Day Without the Guilt for a few pointers!
Do not skip meals
Many times, when we’re at work we get straight into grind mode and lose our appetite. It is important that you take time to move away from your desk and take lunch or a break when it is crucial. In fact, simply standing up every 1-2 hours can make you feel better too!
Skipping meals when at work can lead to you consuming more than what your body wanted because it is starving from missed meals. That ultimately will lead you to gain unnecessary pounds and causing you to lose balance. Make sure to always eat your lunch and keep coffee, tea, sugar and alcohol to a minimum.
Related: Finding a Balance Between Work & Personal Life
Making sure you keep the balance from your work life and personal life is essential to living a balanced life. So many times, we find ourselves lost and overwhelmed because things seem to be piling up on one another. Keeping a good, balance will ensure you keep your sanity! How do you keep balance in your work life and personal life? Check us out on our Instagram and Twitter accounts @citygirlsavings. Also, do not forget to join our Facebook page and join in on the conversations with the community.
1 thought on “6 Ways to Maintain a Work Life Balance”
I personally struggle with this, so these tips are very helpful!