Work Life Balance Tips

Our bodies and minds can handle only so much work and pressure. And though we may love what we do, if our work becomes our life, we will eventually burn out, damage our health, create stress, or hurt relationships. Finding a balance between work life and personal life can be a challenge.

If you have a job you love, it’s easy to pour your heart, soul, and every waking hour into it. Or, if your job is not so satisfying, you may be pursuing other passion projects further adding to you work day. So, let’s first ask if any of the below statements apply to you?

Social/Home Issues:

Too many demands are making you feel anxious, stressed, angry, or overwhelmed.
Family/friends complain you don’t spend enough time/energy with/on them.
You feel others have unrealistic expectations of you.
So many people (children, partners, parents) depend on you for support.
I’ve missed many important family events because of work-related responsibilities.
I often feel I don’t have any time for my family and friends or to do what I want to do.

Work Issues:

I often feel guilty about devoting too much time to career or work related projects.
I almost always bring work home with me or work on weekends.
I feel guilty when work productivity suffers because of home demands.
The rewards and satisfaction from work don’t outweigh the frustration.

Personal Issues:

I feel cheated out of time just for me.
I feel guilty taking a vacation or personal day or I rarely take either.
I put off exercise, eating healthy, and other self care needs.
I wish I had more time for some outside interests and hobbies.
I often feel exhausted even early in the week and don’t get enough sleep.
I carry heavy emotional burdens or addictive behaviors.
I struggle looking forward to each day.

work life balance tips — Work Life Balance

The key to joy and happiness lies in balance. Being proactive about balance can also help you become more effective at work. Creating harmony between work and family is an on-going challenge for most working adults. Achieving a balance between work and family will mean different things to different people. But, it’s important to achieve a balance that’s comfortable for you and your family.

The boundaries between work and home have blurred for many reasons including the global economy resulting in longer working hours and higher production requirements; advanced communications allowing people to work from anywhere including their home, car, and even vacation; and changes in family roles with most married workers being a part of a dual-career couple.

Even the very common practice of overtime can leave one feeling fatigued, create unrealistic expectations from management, have you missing out on important family events, and have you losing out on the ability to nurture friends other support systems.

The balancing act between work and personal life results in struggles like time pressures, family/work conflicts, and guilt. However, new research is demonstrating that balance (when done successfully) can actually produce benefits like greater overall physical health, relationship satisfaction, and job performance. In fact, positive involvement with family can protect people from distress when their jobs became problematic.

A few factors contribute to achieving an effective work/personal life balance, including: time management, boundary management, hours worked per week, a good fit between work schedule and employee preference, flexible scheduling, amount of job autonomy, supportive social relationships both inside and outside work, family flexibility, and personality style. Below are additional tips to help you reach more work/personal balance.

Set realistic priorities Based on your values, decide which tasks and multiple roles are most important. Figure out what you want your priorities to be, not what you think they should be. Spend some time thinking about what you want from life for you and your family. Talk to your family members about what’s important to them. Drop unnecessary activities. Review your priorities regularly and often.
Learn how to set limits/boundaries. Sticking to them will prevent you from over-committing yourself. Make a concrete list of what really matters to you and notice whether you are devoting too much time to activities that aren’t a priority. Then adjust your schedule accordingly.
Notice how your work affects your family life and vice versa – protect each. What work issues do you tend to carry over to your family and what family issues do you bring with you to work? Your private time deserves respect. Carve out hours that contribute to yourself and your relationship. Stop checking email and cell phones so often and schedule routine chores on workdays so that your days off are more relaxing. When you are at home, be fully “present”. Protecting your private time often leads to greater satisfaction in both work life and personal life, greater productivity, and more creativity. Similarly, when you are at work, try to limit personal life intrusions. This will help you be more efficient and effective during your workday.
Take time to shift gears from work to family. Practice relaxation techniques, listen to soothing music on the ride home, and take a few minutes to change clothes when you get home.
Take care of your physical health. With health comes strength and stamina thus making you better equipped to handle emotional and physical stress. Why not start an exercise program to help create better physical wellness – and by extension, emotional wellness?
Take care of psychological health. Surprisingly, the psychological conflicts (guilt, difficulty “turning off” work behaviors at home, pressure, anxiety) create the most problems. Reduce these psychological conflicts.
Plan and work efficiently. Use schedules for planning family time, work, and other activities.
Take advantage of your work options. Find out if your employer offers flex hours, a compressed work week, job-sharing, or telecommuting for your role. The flexibility may alleviate some of your stress and free up some time. Take advantage of your workplace’s family-friendly policies and supports.
Manage your time. Organize household tasks efficiently. A weekly family calendar of important dates and a daily list of to-dos will help you avoid deadline panic. If your employer offers a course in time management, sign up for it. Later in this handout are tips for time management.
Rethink your cleaning standards. Do what needs to be done and let the rest go. If you can afford it, pay someone else to clean your house.
Communicate clearly. Limit time-consuming misunderstandings by communicating clearly and listening carefully.
Nurture yourself. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy such as walking, working out, or listening to music. Unwind after a hectic workday by reading, practicing yoga or taking a bath or shower.
Set aside one night each week for recreation. Take the phone off the hook, power down the computer, and turn off the TV. Discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends. Make time for activities you enjoy and that will rejuvenate you.
Get enough sleep. When you are sleep-deprived your productivity is affected and you can also make costly mistakes. You may then have to work even more hours to make up for these mistakes (see sleep post).
Bolster your support system. Nurture you relationships and use your support systems (family, friends, spiritual, community). If you’re part of a religious community, take advantage of the support your religious leader can provide. Ensure you have trusted friends and relatives that can support and assist you when you need to work overtime, travel for your job, or in times of stress or hardship. Don’t rely on just one person to fill most of your emotional needs.
Ask and accept help to balance your life. Allow yourself to rely on your partner, family members, or friends in times of need. To get more alone-time with your partner, accept babysitting offers from friends and family, or try arranging a regular trade-off with another couple.
Plan fun and relaxation. Fun and relaxation are an essential part of living a well-balanced life. Until you get into the habit of taking time for yourself, set aside space in your planner for relaxation and fun. Plan what you’re going to do and make any necessary arrangements, such as childcare, to ensure you’ll be able to keep your commitment. Remember, you make time for what you want to make time for.
Seek professional help. If all else fails, everyone needs help from time to time. If your life feels too chaotic to manage and you’re spinning your wheels worrying about it, talk with a professional such as your doctor, a therapist, or coach.