Keeping a balance between work and life

Nearly everyone has to work to make a living. You might find yourself struggling with keeping a balance between work and life. When you’re stressed out at work, it’s easy for those issues to consume your thoughts–even when you are off the clock. Sometimes, personal life matters can also bleed into your work time and affect your performance. Fortunately, there are evidence-based strategies you can use to help balance out your work life and your personal life, so that both parts of your life can coexist in harmony. Read on for some fresh ideas to help you balance work and life more effectively, so that you can find more meaning and purpose in all aspects of your life.

How to strengthen your work/life balance:

Divide up your days into blocks of time; stick to the schedule without rigidity, allowing yourself some “wiggle room.”

Something that can disrupt a work/life balance is when thoughts of work creep into your personal life, and vice versa. By dividing up your days into chunks of time and setting aside these blocks of time for specific purposes, you are creating a structure to let your day flow through to reach the results you desire. For example, you can set aside blocks of time each morning, noon, and before leaving work to check email, then set aside blocks of time to focus on projects or meetings. You can also set aside blocks of time for your personal time, such as when you typically make dinner, eat, and clean up afterwards, when you’ll knock out chores, and when you’ll consciously sit down to engage in relaxing hobbies.

Plan opportunities to review your accomplishments, instead of focusing only on what still needs to be done.

Once you’ve created a block schedule as described above, try setting goals for each block of time, then make a “done” list at the end of each day (or the start of a new day) rather than solely obsessing over a “to do” list. Giving yourself credit for the things you’ve accomplished will serve as a positive reinforcement for this structure, which will motivate you to stick with it. Again, this is a strategy that can apply to both your work time and your personal time. Intentionally planning opportunities for reflection can help you feel more at peace with all aspects of your life.

Incorporate healing and wellness activities into both work and personal time.

Taking a fifteen minute break to stretch, walk around, drink a glass of water, and chat with a friend or co-worker can help you feel refreshed and motivated to stick with your time block schedule. This strategy can help you stay on track and accomplish your goals both at work and at home.

Still struggling with keeping a balance between work and life? Chenal Family Therapy can help. Talking to a counselor can help you gain insight and empower you to make changes. Call us today to learn more!