How To Find That Elusive Work-Life Balance

The elusive work-life balance is something we have all chase after. The simple fact is that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Jobs are getting more stressful and the threat of layoffs means we’re all working harder. Everyone’s fighting to prove themselves and ambition is growing large. When you introduce a family into the equation, there’s very little time left for you. Today we’re going to teach you how to find those moments of time you crave.

Embrace the benefits of relaxation
The first thing to do is realize the power of relaxation. Understand that getting eight hours of sleep and finding time to relax will make you better at work. Desperately working every hour you can isn’t a productive or fruitful way to work. Learn to use your working hours more wisely. Power through those and then embrace the benefits of relaxation. Relaxing helps you clear your mind. It allows you to approach the work day with a sense of clarity and renewed motivation. It will improve your communication and productivity. Relaxing is the key to progressing and you’ll find that all important time to yourself.

Schedule in your downtime
Ambitious professionals live by their diary and calendars. They schedule everything and live minute-to-minute by their schedule. That makes it very hard to spontaneously find some downtime. Often when you come to relax, you feel guilty. You feel like you should be working harder and using this time more efficiently. If this sounds like you, learn to timetable your relaxation. If it’s part of your schedule, there’s no need to feel guilty about it. Use this time to reconnect with your partner or spend it with the family. If you need some time alone, schedule time for reading in a cozy corner.

Tackle problems at home
Many people avoid dealing with issues at home. It leads them to replace life with work which is a very unhealthy way to live. Learn to communicate with your family and enjoy your time together. If everything is getting on top of you, take advantage of your company’s employee assistance programme (EAP). They provide counselling that will help you deal with stress and depression.

Change the way you do errands
One of the biggest hindrances to your work-life balance is the never-ending to-do list. If yours is anything like mine, it’s full to the brim of errands. They are often simple, little things but it puts a lot of pressure on you. It’s a never-ending battle to clear the list! Set aside an hour or two a week to power through all of the little things. You will blast through them quickly when you set your mind to it. Rather than doing one at a time, just get them all out of the way. It will free up your list and you’ll feel more comfortable relaxing. That to-do list won’t be clawing at the back of your mind.

Exercise
If you’re one of those who find it difficult to relax, try exercising instead. It will have the same effect, but you’ll still feel productive. It will let you work out that built-up stress. You’ll clear your head and ingest those feel-good endorphins. You’ll boost motivation and get more done.