15 Habits to achieve a healthy work-life balance
Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” — Dolly Parton.
Competition is sky-high in the corporate world, and employees find it challenging to make time for their personal lives. More than 60% of workers in the USA say that they struggle to set boundaries between their work roles and personal lives. Finding the right balance is necessary to perform well at work while staying happy and energized.
Work-life balance doesn’t necessarily mean splitting your work evenly between work and personal time . It’s about boundaries that work for you. Maybe for some this means shutting their laptop at 5 PM or simply resisting the urge to check emails after work hours. The key is to create a rhythm that feels sustainable and allows you to thrive both professionally and personally.
Are you someone who believes that you overwork and don’t get time for yourself? Balance isn’t about separating yourself from work. Rather, it’s creating a schedule that allows you to thrive both professionally and personally. In this blog, I’ll discuss some valuable habits to achieve a healthier work-life balance.
What is work-life balance?
Work-life balance is all about finding the right harmony between your job and personal life.. You should know how to manage professional and personal commitments to maintain this balance. Also, it helps you prioritize your well-being and self-care.
People believe a 9-hour shift means 9 hours of work, but that is not true. If you want to be productive, you need to have a variety of activities as well as time to recharge. Overworkers risk mental fatigue, burnout, and stress-related diseases. The right work-life balance is vital to avoid this.
15 habits for a healthier work-life balance
1. Start planning ahead
Planning for the future is crucial to balancing your work and personal life. You can perform your roles and responsibilities better when you have clarity about everything.
Take a calendar and start marking your deadlines, work milestones, vacations, important dates, leisure time, etc. This way, you’ll have an overview of everything and can create a schedule to follow. You won’t forget any important task and can enjoy your personal time to the fullest.
2. Designate specific times for your daily tasks
Every morning, before you start working, make a list of your daily tasks according to their priority. You can designate a time to check your email, take meetings, follow up with clients, and more.
Also, this will help you eliminate time-wasting activities from your day, like scrolling through social media, getting caught up in-app notifications, etc. You’ll not worry about missing deadlines when you stay on schedule and do your work on time.
3. Take regular breaks while working
“All Jack and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” It’s practically impossible to work nonstop for 8–9 hours. Even if you try to work for long hours at a stretch without breaks, your productivity and efficiency levels will surely go down.
Take short 5–7 minute breaks every hour or so. You’ll better maintain your work-life balance if you take proper advantage of your breaks. For instance, after eating your lunch, you can go out for a short walk or practice short meditations.
4. Communicate openly with your managers and seniors
Open communication with your seniors is vital because many employees become stressed out, thinking they are not doing enough at work. Sometimes, an employee finds it hard to complete the tasks or duties assigned, which can negatively affect work-life balance.
They have to spend extra hours to complete their work and experience mental fatigue. Therefore, you should be open with your managers regarding your work expectations, duties, etc. This way, your seniors will assign you work you can comfortably handle without feeling stressed out.
5. Leverage the power of technology
Technology is rapidly advancing with every passing day, and there are tons of tools out there that can help you with your daily work. A project management tool like ProofHub allows teams to collaborate better, stay focused on tasks, and save time. With the all-in-one tool, you get a centralized place for your tasks, deadlines, and communication.
Team members can access notifications, updates, etc. conveniently without juggling between different apps. Also, progress tracking ensures that the entire team is on the same page, without the need to work after hours. By using ProofHub to keep everything organized and wrapping up your work on time, you can maintain a healthy work-life balance. Sign up for a free trial today to experience ProofHub.
6. Start taking time off
Your sick leaves and paid time off are useless if you don’t utilize them. Some employees get so engrossed in their work that they totally forget about their leaves. Remember to take time off, as it helps you rejuvenate and freshen up your mind.
Also, commuting to the office daily and spending long working hours there can make you bored. Going out to a new place for vacation once a year is perfect for achieving work-life balance.
7. Build positive relationships with your team members
Your workplace will feel more like your home when you consider your colleagues as your friends. Rather than just talking about work, you can discuss with your team members about each others’ lives and personal things.
Spend your breaks with them, share lunch, talk about the latest news, discuss sports events, etc., to build a positive relationship with them. When your teammates are also your friends, it improves your work-life balance.
8. Learn to say No
Helping others is nice, but you don’t have to do it every time. Learn to say no to others when you already have much on your hands and can’t take up more work.
Set firm boundaries so you don’t have to work or respond to notifications when you’re not at the office. This maintains your work-life balance as you don’t have to worry about anything work-related during your personal time.
9. Avoid Perfectionism
Some people are naturally ambitious and try to achieve perfection in everything they do. It may appear nice, but you must understand that it is not possible every time.
Your duties and responsibilities will become less doable if you strive for perfection, leading to burnout. Just try to do your work the best you can and complete your objectives. Overworking to achieve perfection will lead to stress and disrupt your work-life balance.
10. Socialize and spend time with your family and friends
So many people complain that they don’t get enough time to spend with their families. It is one of the primary reasons why people leave their jobs. No matter your work responsibilities, ensure you have enough time to spend with your loved ones.
You can even plan weekend outings with them. Nothing will improve your work-life balance more than spending quality time with friends and family.
11. Start celebrating small wins
Acknowledging minor successes keeps burnout at bay and increases drive. Celebrating little victories, such as finishing a task on time, adhering to work schedules, or placing self-care first, helps to strengthen healthy behaviours on the path to work-life balance.
Therefore, don’t wait to celebrate until you achieve something of a bigger magnitude. Recognising your accomplishments, no matter how small, gives you a sense of achievement and keeps you motivated to pursue larger objectives.
12. Stay mentally and physically healthy
If you are not healthy, you won’t be able to perform at work, which will stress you out. Staying mentally as well as physically fit is vital for professional success.
First of all, you have to maintain a balanced diet. Going to the gym or performing physical activities like running, jogging, etc., is necessary. Lastly, make sure to sleep on time and have a decent sleep routine.
13. Spend time on your hobbies
When you have something to look forward to after work, you’ll focus more on completing your duties. You may love reading books, watching movies, playing sports, or anything else. If you have kids, you can play board games, read stories, or watch something on TV with them.
By spending some time daily on your hobbies, you keep yourself fresh and motivated to work. Besides helping with work-life balance, this also helps unlock your mind’s creative and fun side.
14. Engage in community work or volunteering
Volunteering or doing community service offers meaning outside of work, promoting emotional fulfilment and lowering stress levels. You can refocus your attention from work-related stuff to worthwhile contributions.
You can establish a balanced existence that fosters both personal development and a feeling of community by allocating time to causes that are important to you.
Also read: Stressed Out? 7 Ways to Boost Work Productivity By Saying “No”
15. Work with a counselor or therapist
If you are having trouble finding the right balance between work and personal life, seeking help from a therapist or counselor is a great way. Discuss your situation with the therapist, and they’ll help you make positive changes in your daily routine.
They’ll suggest changes, and by incorporating them, you will surely see an improvement in your personal as well as professional life.
Conclusion
Achieving work-life balance isn’t about splitting time perfectly between work and personal life — it’s about creating a routine that lets you thrive in both. You can earn as much as you want, but it’s of no use if you aren’t happy in your life. Small changes, like planning ahead, setting boundaries, and prioritizing self-care, can make a huge difference.
Remember, balance looks different for everyone, so find what works for you. Stay mindful, celebrate every little progress, and don’t hesitate to unplug when needed. At the end of the day, work should support your life, not take over it!
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