A real challenge for any worker in the current workforce is striking a balance between their personal and professional life. Thanks to much work communication being done through email and messaging platforms, employees are kept in the business loop at all hours of the day. It can be hard to know when to look at and respond to work messages and when to save them until the next day during typical hours.
Even though it can be tricky to navigate, being able to find a balance between work and your personal life is essential to help you stay healthy, avoid burnout, and maintain top performance at the office.
Six Tips to Create a Balance for Your Personal & Professional Life
Create Boundaries
The first step to creating a balance is to determine your boundaries. You should not have to compromise all areas of your personal life for your work. On the same note, your work ethic should not be compromised for frivolous social matters during work hours either. When you’re on the clock, make yourself accessible by all forms of communication and keep your focus. That way, when it’s time to get to the gym after work or to attend family engagements, you feel confident that you’ve done what was necessary.
Set Priorities
One of the best ways to do your best work during your regular hours is to rank your tasks and set priorities. As you settle into your work day, determine which tasks are the top priority, and then rank the rest as well. By creating a hierarchy of importance, it can help you stay focused and accomplish more throughout the day.
Enjoy Your Break
When you’re able to stay productive, you will also want to schedule your tasks appropriately to enjoy a lunch break. It can be easy to eat on-the-go or while sitting in front of your computer, but it’s actually better for your work-life balance if you enjoy your break. Taking a break to recharge and fuel up will actually help you come back to your tasks with greater energy, focus, and motivation.
Take Care of Yourself
One of the best ways to enjoy a work-life balance is to take care of yourself. From choosing healthier foods for your snacks and meals to finding your favorite fitness activity, investing in your health will only help you perform better at work as well as enjoy your personal life more.
Extra Pro Tip: Choose to take a walk during part of your lunch break to help you recharge and destress in the outdoors, while also getting in extra steps to contribute to better health.
Communicate with Your Employer
One of the best ways to create a balance of your work and personal life is to have a clear understanding of your expectations. Communicating with your manager is a must, especially if you have any doubt. Be sure that you understand their expectations of you, and that they understand the other important commitments in your life, like your family. While your employer shouldn’t have to know all of your social calendar, it is important that they understand your wants and limitations.
Switch Off the Technology
Technology, while it has positively impacted many opportunities, it can also have negative effects on your personal and professional life. Without the ability to disconnect from technology, it can lead to greater anxiety, distractions, stress, and burnout. Remember that you can be away from your phone and computer and things will be OK. Set “blackout times” to better connect with family, friends, or even your own thoughts. Taking a break from your technology and the work that comes with it will help you recharge and return to work refreshed.
Find a Job that Allows for a Greater work-life balance
If you need help finding a job that fits your goals and also helps you find work-life balance, contact Axiom Staffing Group.
