We live in an increasingly hectic world, but one day still only consists of only 24 hours while the list of our responsibilities keeps on growing. In these circumstances, no one would argue that staying on top of things is a real challenge. Besides performing well at work, you also need to think about your health and well-being, both mental and physical, as well as your personal life and family responsibilities.
Managing all of these and creating a healthy balance might seem impossible within the limited time you have, and it certainly won’t happen by itself. However, a poor work-life balance will lead to stress, burnout, and general dissatisfaction. You certainly don’t want to go down this road when there are so many things to enjoy about life. Therefore, you need to take control of your time and make an effort to create a routine that will keep you sane, healthy, and fulfilled. Here are a few tips on balancing work, life, and wellness like a pro.
Don’t stress over it
First of all, you should be aware that there is no such thing as perfect work-life balance and there is certainly no cookie-cutter solution to this complex issue. That said, trying to achieve something that simply does not exist can give you a lot of unnecessary stress.
You have to accept that things are not always going to go according to plan and it might not always be great. Being able to accept this fact will save you from a lot of negative energy.
Do away with procrastination
Procrastination is one of your biggest enemies when it comes to productivity. And in order to manage your time well and keep your work-life balance in check, you certainly need to be productive during work hours. First of all, you need to recognize that you are procrastinating.
Ask yourself whether you are prioritizing unimportant tasks throughout the day. However, procrastination is not only present in our work lives. Are you waiting for the “right time” to take up a healthy habit, just to keep postponing it again and again? If yes, then it’s time to leave this habit behind. There can be several causes of procrastination, and you need to identify where your issue lies in order to effectively deal with it.
You might simply be disorganized. Or you might feel anxious about the task, and delay starting it in fear of not being able to do it well. Whatever the case is, you should start practicing anti-procrastination strategies to deal with this issue.
Learn to manage your time better
As we just mentioned, optimal time management is crucial if you want to improve your work-life balance. This includes more than just doing your best not to procrastinate. You also need to learn how to prioritize tasks effectively, and actually make time for them. Make to-do lists to keep both work and personal responsibilities in order. Write these lists at the end of the day and go through them in order to determine what you should tackle first the next day.
Planning ahead like this will allow you to waste no time in the morning but get straight to the point. You should also scrutinize your current schedule and see what could be improved. For instance, if your morning routine could do with a bit more wellness, consider waking up earlier and enjoying mindful silence or a yoga session before anyone else wakes up.
Learn to say no
It is difficult to balance work and life when you are surrounded by tasks on all sides and simply cannot see the end of it. However, it’s important to realize that you don’t have to do absolutely everything. First of all, you should learn how to say no.
We often fall into the trap of agreeing to anything and everything in fear of appearing rude if we were to reject someone’s request. However, you have every right to say no when something is beyond your capacities, be it a favor or an errand you simply have no time for.
Manage chores
Chores probably take up a considerable chunk of your time at home. Therefore, dealing with them in an effective manner is going to bring a lot of improvement to your work-life balance. First of all, keep chores organized as you would do with work tasks. Have a time slot for them and try to limit the amount of time spent on them. Do your least favorite tasks first to avoid burnout later on.
You can also save a lot of time by outsourcing certain tasks. For instance, if cooking takes up too much of your time, you can consider meal delivery. In addition, you should also learn the art of delegation. If you can’t handle all the chores, remember that you are not the only one responsible for keeping the house in order. Get your family involved and don’t sacrifice your own well-being.
Exercise regularly
When we are caught up in our day-to-day responsibilities, it’s often easy for health to take the backseat. However, health is our most precious asset and it should always be prioritized. Exercise is one of the pillars of good health. Regular physical activity shields us from a slew of health issues, in addition, it makes us fit and simply feel great. Exercise can contribute to an optimal work-life balance with its power to make you feel full of energy and perform at your best.
It also relieves stress, which is so essential for staying mentally sound. However, you might be thinking that there is no way you can insert exercise into your already overflowing schedule. Even if that is the case, you don’t have to forget about gym sessions. Rather, you will need to get creative. You can incorporate short bursts of activity whenever and wherever you have time. If you cannot step away from your desk during the day, incorporate exercise into your 5-minute breaks.
You can also save some time by taking your workout clothes with you to work and going straight to the gym afterward. All in all, there are always ways to make exercise a part of our schedules.
Supplement your workouts
With the limited time on your hands, it is paramount that you make the most of your exercise sessions. A lack of time to spend hours at the gyms does not have to stand between you and your fitness goals. You can give your body an extra push with the right supplements which will allow you to work out harder, build muscle faster, or shed pounds more effectively – whichever your goal may be.
You can consider protein shakes if your goal is to build some muscle – for instance, whey protein is one of the most popular choices. If you are working on burning some fat, the help of caffeine might come in handy.
If you want to decrease exercise fatigue and improve your performance,
BCAA powder is a great choice. It will basically allow you to do more in less time. It also helps in recovery, which is paramount when you’re living at a fast pace. Remember to work smart, not only hard.
Involve your family
If you feel like it’s impossible to have time both for your family and for exercise, why not overlap the two things? You can involve your family in your fitness journey and spend meaningful and fun time together while moving your muscles. Kids love moving around so taking them with you on your run at the park is a great way to bond while staying healthy. You can also consider other activities, such as biking or hiking, that can be great fun while also being the perfect exercise.
Why spend time alone on your treadmill when you can turn it into a game and run relays with your family? Another benefit of combining these two things is that you will be teaching your children a valuable lesson. You will be instilling the importance of exercise in them from an early age and ensure that they will continue to have healthy habits as they grow.
Respect work hours
The concept of work-life balance can easily turn into dust when the line between work hours and free time disappears. Unfortunately, with many of us working from home these days, this issue is more prominent than ever, but it can affect you even if you are not working from home. Having more responsibilities than one can handle in a day or poor time management strategies will mean extended work hours, and this is a bigger issue than one might expect.
So, make sure you clock out when it’s time, regardless of your working arrangement. It’s important to keep work hours clear even when you are working from home or else, your entire day will turn into work hours. This won’t leave you enough time to do chores and keep up with your fitness plan, which will stress you out and leave you frustrated.
So, go offline when you need to. Put your phone away and spend time away from your computer. Leave work at work, even if only figuratively.
Schedule “me time”
When was the last time you could wind down without anything or anyone bothering you? If you cannot really answer this question, you are probably already stressed out. Spending some time with yourself from time to time is important for your mental wellbeing. For that reason, remember to schedule “me time” like any other plan. Unless you actively set time aside for yourself, there will always be something coming up, an errand to run, or a friend who wants you to join them for an event.
We’re not saying you should always turn them down, we are just saying that you should remember that you have a right to say no, as we already mentioned, and not all of your free time needs to be available for others. So, set aside this time slot for doing something that is really for you and is not some kind of task or responsibility.
Make time for those you love
Just like you should make time for yourself, you should also make time for the people who are important to you. People are social beings and spending too much time ignoring this fact is not healthy. Spending time with people we love and care about fills us with energy, and it’s something that cannot be replaced by anything else.
If you have a family, schedule family time where each of you will leave your current tasks behind and relieve some stress together. Keep in touch with your friends, even if your time does not allow for more than a text message. Combine socializing with exercise and catch up with your friends while breaking a sweat – that way, you will be killing two birds with one stone.
Take vacations
Finally, a solid work-life balance is not only about leaving work at work and giving yourself the evenings off. It also means that you should enjoy your weekends and vacations to the fullest – you have all the right to do so. Instead of doing chores all weekend or trying to give yourself a headstart on Monday by doing work ahead of time, try to get what you need done as soon as possible and take the rest of the time to actually relax.
You will still need to work on Monday even if you work ahead during the weekend, so all you’re doing is stealing your own free time. In addition, make sure you take advantage of your days off. At that moment, you might feel guilty about taking time off work, but rest assured that years in the future you will be grateful for going on that vacation and creating memories.
Time waits for no one so you have to make the most of what you have. Of course, work is important, but your family and your well-being are even more important. Don’t let stress from work take over your life and destroy your work-life balance. Make sure you make time for yourself, for those important to you, and for activities that promote your wellness, and you will have enough energy to deal with the tasks that are not so pleasant.