Similar to changing an undesired habit, achieving a work-life balance is not as easy as one may think. Therefore, it is no surprise that helping individuals find and achieve work-life balance has become a billion-dollar industry. What makes work life balance so elusive for so many?
One of the most important reasons why many of us never achieve our desired balance between life and work is that we are afraid that this ‘balance’ could negatively affect our career or that we could be perceived as lacking commitment to our jobs. We want our professional peers and leaders to view us as committed, hard workers. Fortunately, there are ways to achieve your career goals and improve work-life balance.
Establish Priorities
You probably participate in brainstorming sessions at work. Now, the time has arrived for you to brainstorm with yourself. Reflect on your priorities such a raising a family, enjoying a new hobby, or attending sporting events. Then, review your time commitments to determine how you can allocate time to your career and personal goals.
Set and Achieve Goals
In your work or professional life, your performance is often measured against a set of goals that you are expected to reach at the end of a given time period. However, your life outside of work might be missing goals that can help keep you focused and on track. Transform these priorities into realistic goals.
Monitor Your Time
No, you do not have to glance at your watch or take out your cell phone every few minutes to determine the time. However, you can achieve a balance between life and work by writing down your daily time commitments. Becoming more aware of how you spend your time each day and each week can help you identify opportunities for change. After four weeks pass, review how you spent your time and then devise a plan to allocate more time to the things you love doing outside of the workplace.
Plan Ahead
It should take no more than 15 minutes for you to plan the next day’s schedule. You do not have to account for every minute, but instead, a daily schedule gives you an idea about how much available time you have to pursue personal interests outside of the workplace. You can extend planning to include weekly and even monthly plans as well.
Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries is often the most difficult part of any behavior change. Saying ‘yes’ to one activity often means saying ‘no’ to another. For example, it may mean telling your co-workers that you do not have the time to play in the weekly softball league. It may also mean letting your family know that you need an hour over the weekend to prepare for the workload expected during the upcoming week.
Break Up Your Day
Even if you have to be at the office for most of the workday, plan short breaks in your day. These can include taking a walk or running an errand. These breaks help alleviate fatigue and allow you to return to your work refocused and re-energized.
Don’t Bring Work Home with You
Setting a boundary between work time and personal time is an important tool that can help reduce the risk of long-term stress, fatigue and burnout. After a long day at the office, schedule an activity or two that takes your mind off work. Maybe you release a little pent-up energy at the gym or attend a continuing education class that has nothing to do with your career. If you struggle with taking your mind off of work-related activities, make a list of any open tasks that remain at the end of the work day so that you can tackle them tomorrow. For the work from home crowd, it’s important to set up a dedicated work space as well as specific working hours and walk away from your computer and/or phone outside of those hours.
While the COVID-19 pandemic introduced several negatives into our lives, it also provided valuable opportunity for individuals to re-assess their priorities and to refocus on those that truly matter. Achieving a balance between work and life that works for you can help you achieve your professional and personal goals, including maintaining your mental and physical health.
There for You: Acadia Insurance
At Acadia, we’re all about helping businesses throughout the Northeast thrive. Our mission is to provide superior service and product as close to our customers as possible, providing the backing they need to proceed with confidence.
We understand what you want most from your insurance is security and peace of mind. That means knowing you are backed by an insurance company who will support you and help you protect your business.
With Acadia, not only can you get coverage tailored to your needs, but you will also receive support from dedicated claims professionals to guide you through the claim process in the event of a loss. That way, you know exactly what to expect. Knowing your claims professional by name and a hand shake – that’s “Closer Coverage”. Get to know more about how we work and find an agent near you.
Acadia Insurance is pleased to share this material with its customers. Please note, however, that nothing in this blog should be construed as legal advice or the provision of professional consulting services. This material is for general informational purposes only, and while reasonable care has been utilized in compiling this information, no warranty or representation is made as to accuracy or completeness.
