4 Ways to Maintain Your Work-Life Balance

Work can be a lot to manage day to day. Relaxing after a long day can be difficult, especially if your mind is already on the work you’ll have to do tomorrow. The key is finding a balance between work and your life, keeping yourself productive on the job and happy at home. 

This balance is different for everyone, and finding yours is all about identifying where your work puts a strain on you. Whether it’s the after hours email to the lack of a lunch break, these problems range from big to small, but all work to get in the way of you living your life to its fullest. In this article we will highlight strategies to create and maintain a work-life balance that keeps you happy and healthy.

1. Prioritize Clear Communication

Work communication outside of working hours is the classic pitfall of a poor work-life balance. The more you allow it, the more work bleeds into your personal life. The best cure for this is a solid set of boundaries and prep work. 

While it’s not always possible to simply turn off all your work communication, the next best thing is to work towards minimizing it. Communicate with clients and coworkers on your communication boundaries, when you plan to check your email, and your availability while not at work. Use a meeting scheduler to make your times in and out of office public information, and allow for automated scheduling while you relax at home. 

It’s also worthwhile to establish emergency contact information, providing a method of getting a hold of you off-hours in an absolute crisis. This gives you the comfort of cutting off your work communication unless absolutely necessary, freeing up mental space to relax, watch that movie, and unwind. 

2. Find Something to Look Forward to

One of the worst feelings in the world is finishing up a work day and the only thing you have to look forward to is another one. Finding a hobby you can participate in regularly is a great way to target this problem from the source. Discovering what you are passionate about is not only an amazing way to maintain a work-life balance, it’s also a lot of fun.

Feeling artsy? Take a look into the world of painting, knitting, sculpting, and more. Local studios often hold events to tap into your creative juices and meet others sharing your interest. If being more active is more your thing, hiking, local sports leagues, and your community theater are all things that’ll keep you moving and meeting new people. 

No matter what avenue you decide to pursue, finding that other thing to look forward to is another great step towards finding your perfect work-life balance. 

3. Learn the Power of Multitasking

Exercise is a healthy habit that works to boost your energy and mood. However, exercise can also be time consuming, getting in the way of your already limited freetime. If it’s not something you’re deeply passionate about, it might even feel like a second job.

To eliminate the need for daily gym rendezvous, consider picking up an at-office exercise machine. An under desk elliptical or a walking pad are just a few of the many options for turning work time into health time. This can free up more time in your life, without compromising your health.

It’s also worth noting that if exercise is starting to feel like a chore, you can freely take a week off to recoup without needing PTO. Exercise should work to improve your life, not get in the way of it. Just like work, there is a balance that needs to be found.

4. Shake Up the Routine

Work breeds routine, and days or weeks can easily start to blend together and feel samey and bland. If the annual vacation is months away, it might be worth crafting up a mini-staycation. If you aren’t having fun and making memories off the clock, your work-life balance can become lopsided. 

Crafting up fun weekend events, memorable date nights, or mini road trips are all great ways to divert a little bit of your work energy into making your life more special for you and those you love. Making smores over your electric oven, having a movie marathon of a director you’ve never heard of, or going backwards bowling are all easy to plan events that will make a lifetime of memories. 

Spending just a tiny bit of time to plan something special instead of falling prey to routine can make a world of a difference. These plans don’t need to be particularly complex or expensive, but they should take a little of your mental energy. Think about how much of your brainpower you devote to your work everyday, and work to put just an ounce of that towards your daily life. 

Finding the Balance

Finding your work-life balance can help keep the woes and stress of working at the office at bay, allowing you to have the free time you desperately need. The benefits can go beyond just you. By being able to prioritize the life piece of work-life balance, you have better opportunities to build healthy relationships with your friends and family. 

Striking up the right balance can also end up making work more enjoyable. Having stories, hobbies, and more of you to share with your coworkers can help cultivate stronger relationships. So take the time to think about how you can improve your balance of work and life, and likely you’ll find a way to improve both.