Today, work or business takes precedence above everything else in most people’s day-to-day life. However, too much work without play makes Jack a dull boy’ and in this case becoming a workaholic could result in great ramifications in your personal life and health. Therefore, you have to strike a balance between your work and personal life. Having a good work-life balance results in less stress, a lower risk of burnout, and a greater sense of well-being. This not only benefits employees but employers, too. Below are some tips on how you achieve a good work-life balance:
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Accept the fact that there is no ‘perfect’ work-life balance
When people hear about work-life balance, they probably imagine doing their work within the least time possible in a day and getting the remaining part of the day for yourself and your family or friends.
But let’s call a spade a spade, very few people enjoy such privileges. To most of us, especially freelancers, the more we work, the better the position we get when it comes to meeting our financial needs, which means we are forced to work for at least 7 to 8 hours a day. Therefore, you should accept the fact that you cannot get all the time you want for yourself, family, or friends. However, you should use much of the remaining time out of the 8 hours for the betterment of your personal life. Also, you may have the weekends for yourself.
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Get a job you love
Even though work is always an expected norm in society, the career you choose should not be restraining and cumbersome because you need to love every aspect of the job you are doing. If you are doing a job that drains you always have a feeling that you don’t love the job that you do, you should find a way to find a job that you love and that you shall enjoy.
When doing a job that you love, you become less stressed and also become extra productive.
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Always prioritize your health
Your health that is physical, mental, and emotional should always be the main concern. If you find you got some anxiety or something related to depression in the field you are working you need to fit therapy sessions into your schedule no matter whether you have to wake up early. When sick or having trouble with chronic illnesses you should ask for sick leaves without fear because overworking when not healthy prevents you from being productive and getting any better and possibly causing harm.
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Don’t be afraid to unplug.
Unplugging may mean cutting ties from the world to recover from the busy working days. It may mean things like reading novels, magazines getting into active and passive activities rather than probably reading work-related emails, which gives you space for ideas and other thoughts. Taking time for instance to read a novel or a magazine while on a business travel unwinds and helps you feel energized when on the clock and a saying comes by that ’too much of something is poisonous.
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Go for vacations
Sometimes unplugging completely means taking a vacation and being away from work completely for a certain amount of time, which is important for mental and physical recharge. Some people think that taking an off from work may tamper with the workflow and they will get bulk work when they come back which should not restrain you from taking a break. Indeed the benefits of taking an off from work outweigh the downsides and with good plans, you can take a break without worry of your colleagues.
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Restrain from time-wasting activities and also people
First and foremost you should always pick out what is most important in your life. This is always different for every person and so make sure that it gives you your priorities first. This means you will not prioritize a person over yourself and activities that do not matter to you. The next thing you do is setting boundaries to dedicate quality time to your important activities and people. When you realize and actualize this, it will not be difficult for you to know what should be trimmed from your schedule. For instance, you may need to reduce spending much of your time at the bar with friends and instead dedicate that time to your family or for resting.
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Start from little things and then build from there
If you have been trying to change a certain aspect of your life, always start small, have the experience, get some success and then build from there. Everybody has been in a situation of crash diets. When the year starts the zeal is there but by February it’s gone. It’s the same for work-life balance when we take too much too fast. Many workaholic people expect drastic changes which means maybe cutting the work hours from 50 to 20 which is a recipe for failing. If you want to be present for the family dinner, start small, begin with one evening in a week and you will find yourself making up to three to four per every week.
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Have time for meditation and exercise
However, we might be busy we make time for important things in life. We go to the washrooms, eat, sleep, and yet we can work efficiently day in day out. Exercise is one crucial thing to do since it helps reduce stress, gives you a feel-good mood, and helps in pumping blood throughout your body. It also puts you into a meditative state.