THE BALANCING ACT – Work-Life Balance

Tips and Tricks to ensure a Healthy Work-Life Balance

‘Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create’ – Jana Kingsford.

Our fast-paced life and the constant hustle to reach the top in our respective fields had led most of us to have no work-life balance whatsoever. One might argue that in order to become successful you need to pour in your 100% at work, which is completely true; but what people fail to realize is that just working extra hours won’t do the trick. The key to being successful is not the hours you put in, but what you manage to gain out of the hours provided.

A lot of factors come into play when it comes to having a healthy work-life balance. You need to condition your mind into believing that your mental wellbeing is as important as your work.

Here are a few tips and tricks to ensure a healthy work-life balance:

Stop over-committing, learn when to Say No:

Humans often feel this constant need to please people, which in turn leaves us unable to say ‘No’ to things which we really should have. Think of it this way, saying ‘Yes’ to an added task is actually saying ‘No’ to the tasks you are currently managing. You will end up taking away the necessary focus you needed to give to the task at hand and only end up with an unsatisfactory outcome.

Structure your schedule:

Create a clear roadmap for yourself at work, plan things to the minute so you know where you stand at all times. This way it becomes easier for you to evaluate whether you can or cannot take an additional task. Having your plan laid out in front of you helps you feel in control and minimizes any stress or anxiety that may have surfaced otherwise.

Don’t bring work home:

For most of us, it is difficult to switch off our brain from ‘Work Mode’, even when you are lying on the bed. Your mind is constantly thinking about what you have to do the next day or how are you going to meet a particular deadline. You find yourself checking emails during weekends or way after work hours. This needs to stop, you need to learn how to disconnect. Your work is just a part of your life, not your entire life.

Stop guilting yourself:

A lot of us feel excessive guilt for missing a day at work which again causes a lot of anxiety to surface. Guilt implies that you have done something wrong, you feel guilty because you consider missing work as the behavior you should not have indulged in no matter how serious the reason. But what you need to know is that when your body is telling you it’s exhausted, you need to listen to it. You are human and allowed to have bad days.

Have some ‘Me Time’:

Taking out time for your mental and physical well-being is important and you shouldn’t let anyone make you feel guilty about it. Only if you are at your very best, will you be able to perform exceptionally at work. If you feel positive and energized it will definitely reflect on your work, making you an ideal employee for any organization.

We would like to leave you all with this thought-provoking line by Katie Thurmes: “You can’t do a good job if your job is all you do.”

Let us know in the comments below how you maintain that work-life balance. See you on our next blog. Until then, Stay Home, Stay Safe.