Achieving the Optimal Work-Life Balance
Posted on: August 8, 2017 | By: Craig Thompson | Logan Consulting News
It’s no surprise that over the last decade Americans have continued working longer days with less vacation time. Many have embraced this hectic and stressful way of life they feel is impossible to escape. Feelings of insecurity and unrest about job stability is on the rise. Despite the constant pressure from society to overwork and overachieve, there are a few simple ways to put your mental and physical well-being first. Taking time for yourself and realizing the long-term effects stress has on your mind and body is essential. Read about these tips on achieving that optimal work-life balance today!
Manage your Time
Creating a road map for your week allows you to have a plan and make changes as you go. In the corporate world, it’s easy to jump from task to task and get sidetracked from what really needs to get done in the moment. Using time blocks to map out your schedule will allow you to formulate deadlines and manage your priorities with ease. By effectively managing your time and checking your to-do list before ending your workday you can reduce the chances of a stressful situation arising.
Communicate
Communication is key! You must admit to yourself that you can’t do everything, even if you think otherwise. Communicating to your managers and coworkers about what is already on your agenda for the week will allow them to get an idea of how much spare time you have for additional work. By keeping the lines of communication open you save yourself from additional stress while pleasing others in your workplace with your organization skills.
Give yourself a break
This is perhaps the most important part to achieving that optimal work-life balance. Working long hours and avoiding what your mind and body needs can take a huge toll on you. To become the best version of yourself and a well-rounded employee you need to practice self-care. Whether that means hitting the gym, listening to music, reading a book, meditating, or watching your favorite Netflix series, focusing your time and energy on something other than work each day is key component in creating a balanced life. This diversion from your work will allow you to have a clear mind and improve your ability to focus. Additionally, taking at least one full, contiguous week out of the year to vacation allows you to decompress and escape life’s everyday stresses. Doing this twice is even better. With planning a vacation comes the responsibility of finding someone else to cover your tasks while you’re away so you can enjoy yourself without that extra worry.
Ask for Help
Many business men and women get in the routine of taking everything on by themselves. Having these independent tendencies can be both a curse and a blessing, but keep in mind not everything has to fall onto your shoulders. Remove some of that weight and reach out to ones that are closest to you—friends, family, you significant other, and coworkers. Even if you don’t realize it, you have a network of individuals that likely are willing to help you because you’ve done the same for them at some point. Even just having someone to talk to after a long day in the office can help alleviate that stress bottled up inside.
So, manage your time. Prioritize. Communicate. Delegate without abdicating. Check that to-do list one last time. Then enjoy that week-long vacation!