How to Have a Better Work Life Balance

Are you struggling to let go of work when it's quitting time? It's extremely frustrating. You may feel like you never really leave the office, and that you are continually trying to find ways to relax — without any luck.

The problem is, even if you do find ways to relax, you never really do. Work is always on the brain and this can cause even more work life balance issues for you later on. Here are some ways to balance it all.

Know What Work-Life Balance Means

Balance doesn’t always mean equal, and the sooner you understand this, the better. Sure, sometimes you may need to work longer or find it hard to leave work in the office.

However, If you have a good work-life balance you won’t feel as though your work is overbearing and you will, most of the time, be able to draw a fine line between the two.

Trust me, you need this line.

Sure, this may take some time and it may even take a lot of practice but if you are able to do this then you will be much better off.

Your whole family and your sanity will thank you!

Let Go of Fear

If you want to develop a healthy work life balance, then you need to let go of fear. Just because you are not working, doesn’t mean that your company is going to fail.

When you have done a full day’s work, let it go and have a rest. You can then try and give it your all the next day.

The world won’t come to an end if you leave a few items on your to-do list. There is a high chance that nothing will happen if you choose to leave it until the next day.

However, this does not mean to skip deadlines. Deadlines are deadlines, but other less urgent tasks can be put off till another time. Personally, I use Week Plan to prioritize my day. It works perfectly!

Schedule All Important Activities

Things such as date nights and even exercise can easily be shoved to one side if you do not schedule them in. You have to block them out on your calendar and you also have to try and write down any personal events that you need to attend as well.

Sure, it’s hard to not attend a meeting because you have a personal event scheduled, but you have to remember that these events are just as important as any meeting.

To some degree, anyway. Obviously, personal events and such should be scheduled off-hours if possible. Doctor's appointments are okay but save your son's birthday party for the weekend.

However, if you can squeeze in something personal at lunchtime — go for it! It's your hour do whatever will make you the happiest.

When you are able to understand this, you will soon find that everything falls into place and that you have way more time for the most important people in your life. Work life balance is where it's at people. 

Set Boundaries

If a colleague or even a customer thinks that it's acceptable to call you up at 11 pm then they most certainly will. You have to tell them that this is not okay and set definite boundaries.

They need to know when you are, and when you are not available. When you do this, it will help you gain a work life balance. This way you can relax and not get burnt out.

It will also stop other people from thinking that you aren’t meeting their expectations.

If you are worried about doing this because you always operate with an “open door” policy then you need to shift to limited hours. Sure, some of your customers will have a problem with this, to begin with, but they will soon get used to it and you absolutely won’t lose business over it either.

Study But Be Smart

Studying is a great way for you really expand your knowledge and it can work wonders for your business as well. Just make sure that you aren’t trying to commit to too much at any one time.

You may think that you can balance a university course and work at the same time, and this may be the case, but you might not be able to balance all of that plus your personal life.

Think about it — would this help my work life balance or make it worse?

If you want to study, consider taking a master's degree in civil engineering, or something similar online instead. Online courses are much more flexible!

Turn Off Your Phone

Smartphones give you the benefit of being connected with the world and this is fantastic, but it can also make it way easier for your work to follow you. You may find that your phone is constantly ringing off the hook and that you are constantly battling to get away from it.

If this sounds like you then you may want to set your phone so that it is only turned on for work calls during certain hours. If you can’t stay away from your phone then you may want to invest in a separate phone entirely, so that you can leave it at work!

Manage your Energy

Every human being has a natural energy cycle. If you think carefully about your own cycle then you will be able to pinpoint a time where you know that you are far more focused.

Instead of trying to schedule every single moment of your time, you need to schedule your tasks according to the energy that you have. This is way more productive for your work life balance.

If you are in a lull then you need to try and do lower-administrative tasks during this time, not something that requires a lot of brainwork.

Schedule your Vacation Time

You are probably really busy and your business may be very demanding, to say the least. However, you still need to make sure that vacation time happens. Your work life balance NEEDS this.

Vacation time doesn’t involve a week getaway all the time. Sometimes you just need to make sure that you take a few days away every now and then.

This can work wonders for your mental health and it can even help you to come back even more focused!

Join Social Groups

If you find it tough to socialize because you don’t have enough time then you are not alone. So many people find themselves in the same situation that you are in right now, so consider signing up with a sports team, a chess group or whatever you enjoy doing.

Staying connected with friends and having fun can only improve your work life balance.

Delegate

If you have the ability to delegate any household tasks then do it. Housekeepers and lawn service companies can help to save you hours of time. Time you can spend with your family instead of struggling with work life balance. 

The same concept applies to work as well. It is super important that you are able to delegate any tasks that would put you over your working hours.

Plus it's more efficient this way which is a win for everyone.

Use Calendar Blocks

If you have a calendar, then you need to make sure that you use it. If you work in an office then tell your co-workers about it so that they can get on board.

This will also help you with your organization and keep on top of your work while giving you the work-life balance you crave.