It is of vital importance to have a good work-life balance in this life.
Most of us put a lot of pressure on ourselves while performing our daily jobs. This everyday pressure can have many negative consequences such as stress, exhaustion, low motivation, and even burnout.
To avoid depleting ourselves like this, it is important to establish a good work-life balance.
Let me tell you how it’s done.
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What is a good work-life balance?
A good work-life balance means something else to each individual. Some people need more time to recover from their jobs than others, and some people love what they do for a living so their job is more like a hobby to them.
It should feel good to you, that’s the key!
When you are working a lot of hours, you can probably tell when it’s too much for you. You can tell this by how you are feeling on the days when you are free from work. If you feel exhausted every weekend and can’t seem to recover fast after your work week, you probably work too much.
To be able to have fun in your free time, it is important to feel well-rested. Make sure you have enough leisure, time-wise and also energy-wise.
How can I achieve a good work-life balance?
How you can achieve a good balance is also different for everyone but I will give you some tips!
Read this post and see which advice you can apply to your personal situation.
Amount of working hours versus the amount of leisure time
To start, you have to take a good look at the number of hours you’re working every week. Do you need to work this much to sustain your family or do you do it because it is expected from you?
If you feel like you are overworking yourself every week, look at how you can reduce your working hours first.
When you are working for a boss it can be difficult to keep the same pay for working fewer hours, although you could always try getting a raise for your hard work!
If you are self-employed you can try to reduce your active working hours by improving your productivity during these hours. This way you will make the same income. Work smarter, not harder.
Having a planner would be recommended to schedule your day so you use your precious time wisely. When you have a routine, you will also save a lot of time because you know what you have to do and when you have to do it. This way, you won’t waste time thinking about it.
You should have a good number of free hours every day and a few days off work every week. It’s up to you how you spend your free time, but make sure to use some time to relax your mind and body. Let all the work stress melt away.
You might also like: 8 Productive Sunday Habits for a Great Start of Your Week
How do you spend your working time?
If there really is no wiggle room in reducing your working hours, look at how you can make them feel lighter.
Work towards your goals
When you are passionate about what you do, you will get a lot of energy from doing it. If you have goals you want to achieve at your job, it can be very motivating. Look deeper to find your purpose and if it aligns with your job, it’s a golden combination.
Energy givers and takers
List all the tasks you need to do daily and how they make you feel. Certain tasks give you energy and others that will drain you. You can do this every evening after work for a week so you will remember the feelings better.
Make a list of all your energy givers and takers and see how you can adjust the balance between them. Ask your supervisor if you can outsource some tasks that really drain you of all your energy or get more tasks you enjoy doing.
When you have almost no energy givers
If you almost have no tasks you enjoy doing, maybe it is time for you to find another job. Really consider this as this will help you to enjoy your life more and have so much more energy!
Another way of preserving your energy during your work day is to put less effort and energy into your work. This is how you can save more energy to have some left to enjoy your free time. This is especially important for the perfectionists out here. If you are exhausted every day after work, you are definitely doing your best, but is it worth it?
How you spend your leisure time
You have more control over your leisure time than you do over your work time. So spend it well!
It is very important to give yourself the things you need to feel good and can’t get from your job during this time.
Self-care
Spend some time on self-care so you can relax and let go of your work stress. People who have a good work-life balance can let go of their work and their work thoughts during their free time.
Even though you’re not working, you can still be thinking about work and this is not good for your mental health. You should learn to let go of your work during your free time.
You might also like: 23 Self-Care Activities Without Spending a Lot of Money
Exercising
Moving your body is important for both your physical and mental health. When you exercise regularly, you will have more energy overall. This will help you to still have some energy left at the end of the day because you have more to start with.
Pick a type of exercise you enjoy or at least don’t hate doing. Fit it into your schedule so you know you will have time to do it, with no excuses (unless there is an emergency of course ;)). This can be anything that works up a little sweat.
Do something you love
Have some fun! What excites you? What do you love to do?
Do some activities that you really enjoy in your leisure time. This is very different for everybody. Here are a few examples of hobbies you can try: dance lessons, reading, watching a movie, and spending time with friends or family.
Have some rest
Take some time to rest. This can be sitting in the sun for a moment doing nothing but enjoying the sunlight on your face or lying on the couch.
Having a good night’s sleep is also necessary to have a good work-life balance. When you are well-rested, you can enjoy your free time so much more!
What do you need to change to achieve a good work-life balance?
Try to find the exact problem or problems that cause a poor work-life balance by analyzing your behavior and feelings every week. Reflect on the past day in bed every evening for a week or two and see what you find out. You can use a journal to do so.
Because every person is so unique, you should spend some time analyzing your thoughts and feelings to change something specific.
Maybe you realize you don’t like your job that much and want to change it, or maybe you don’t like the way you are spending your leisure time. Figure it out and make a change!
I wish you all the best with finding a good work-life balance that works for you!