Work-life balance is when you find harmony between your work and your personal life. Finding the perfect work-life balance is different for each person since we all have different personalities and needs. But it means that you can work and be productive, without it affecting your personal life or your mental health.
In this article, I am not talking about a specific method that you implement to reach this balance, but certain habits that you can adapt to your unique circumstances.
Why is work-life balance important?
How many times a week do you finish work stressed and in a bad mood? I bet that most of the time this transpires in the form of mean comments to the people you love, fights at home, or anxiety. It is okay, we have all been there.
The truth is, that this can come to a high price if it becomes the norm for you. Not finding harmony between your work and life can affect the relationship with your family, your partner, or your friends. But be aware that we are talking about the kind of harmony and balance that work for you.
For example, forcing yourself to go out with a friend when you would rather stay home, is not going to help you. But instead, you can prioritize what is important, and organize your life around these priorities. So tonight you stay home and have that good night of sleep you need, and tomorrow you go an exercise with your friend (and feed two birds with one scone!).
The importance of finding a good balance is key to a happy life since we spent many hours of our lives working. It will not only improve your personal life, but also help you be productive and less stressed with your job.
Why is it so difficult to maintain a good work-life balance?
As you can imagine, finding the right work-life balance is not a state that you attain in your life, but something that you need to work on every day.
From healthy habits, like getting a good night of sleep and exercising. To achieving the mental strength that you need to unplug from work and set your boundaries.
One thing is certain: this is about changing your lifestyle and can’t be done in one day. They say it takes 21 days to build a new habit and 90 to make it your own. So be patient, set small goals, and work on them little by little.
4 habits to help you improve your work-life balance.
1. Prioritize and organize.
Sit down and make a list of the things you do during the week. Are these things essential for you, your work, your relationships, your health? How often do you need to do them? Can you pack them together or in a way that saves time?
For example, if you want to visit grandma this week and she lives next to a supermarket, then plan your weekly shopping for that day! This way, you won’t need to commute unnecessarily another day.
Is there anything on this list that is causing you unnecessary stress? How can you change that? Can you get rid of any of these weekly or daily tasks or do them with less frequency? Or what about delegating any of it?
2. Readjust your habits.
I know you have heard it a thousand times, but if you sleep more and exercise often, your life is going to change for the better right away. Exercising makes you release those great endorphins that are like a little shot of happiness, not to mention the fact that it is a perfect excuse to unplug and, depending on the sport, socialize. It is key to have a good work-life balance!
For many people (including me), exercising is also a moment to meditate. As you may know, if you follow us on social media, we love hiking. There is something special about the kind of silence you can enjoy in nature. It makes you feel so peaceful. I can’t think of a better way to start a more balanced life than a hike in nature a couple of times per week.
As for the sleep part, you need to be aware of your nightly habits and commit to changing them. I know you want to scroll indefinitely down your Instagram feed or watch that TV show that brings so much meaning to your life, but seriously, stop and go to bed.
The moment you start exercising, you will also sleep better. So it is a win-win!
3. Know when to say no to yourself and others.
Why do you keep signing up for all those social engagements if you don’t have time? Or working extra hours when you know that your brain stopped working two hours ago? What about spending so much time tidying up the house if no one cares!
One good thing about this individualist society in which we live nowadays is that people accept more and more when others say no. It is not about being selfish but about organizing and prioritizing. It doesn’t mean that you are not going to do what other people are asking from you. But if it’s bringing you stress, maybe you can propose a different way or timing that works better for you. A good work-life balance is synonym to self-care!
Another example: we used to use the app Calendly on our email and have our entire work schedule (8h a day), available for our clients to book a meeting with us. We would plan our days ahead and then a client would book a time with just 30 minutes heads-up. Since we work from home and our schedule is not always the same, this could be very inconvenient at times and brought us a lot of stress.
How did we fix it? When someone said they wanted to meet us, we would send an invitation with three different days and times that worked for us, and they would choose the more convenient for them. We still had our meetings, but we offered a time that worked better for us and our work routine.
4. Learn to unplug.
Those mini-computers that we all carry around in our pockets keep us connected 24/7. And not only to work but also to social media and other people.
How many times do you take your phone, unlock it, and click the Instagram button right away without even noticing that you are doing so? And when I say Instagram, I also mean TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, or whatever social is sucking on your life.
It is important to be aware of how much time we spend on social media since it can take a lot of hours from our days that we could put towards other more important things like family, friends, or healthy habits. But this is not the only way you can unplug.
How often do you keep thinking about work after you are done for the day? Do you realize where your thoughts are going when this happens? And how is it affecting you?
Unplugging is essential to reach a better work and life balance. Not just unplugging from exterior distraction, but from our thoughts, that might not always be the most positive.
So meditate, go for a walk, find something that you enjoy doing so much, that it keeps you from your worries or negative thoughts.
“Where should I start?” A word of advice.
As this article comes to an end, I would like to suggest that if you decide to adjust your habits, you should do it gradually. Take your time and see if the changes you make are helping or not.
As you can see, most of these habits are connected, so when you want to start with one, maybe choose the one that will set off other patterns in your life.
For example, exercising will help you connect with your mind, unplug, and maybe even socialize in a different context than work. It will also allow you to sleep better and probably drink more water. Not to mention, improve your health in general. It’s all benefits, so why not start there?
If you practice meditation, you will get to know yourself better and be more aware of what is going on with your feelings. This will help you prioritize and organize your life, unplug from work, social media, and whatever is causing you stress, and realize when you are doing unnecessary things and it’s time to say NO!.
Finding the right work-life balance for you is something that takes time and self-awareness. Some of the things I mention in this article might not work for you, so find the ones that do!.