A lot of times it seems as though it is nearly impossible to keep a healthy work-life balance. The rise of technology keeps some workers accessible around the clock, the fear of job loss promotes longer hours, along with many other reasons. In a study done by Harvard Business School, they found that 94% of working professionals were working over fifty hours a week and almost half of working professionals were working over 65 hours per week. The added stress from a never-ending workday can be damaging to relationships, health, and just overall happiness. It is so essential to keep a stable work-life balance in order to be more productive and have a better quality of life. Here are some tips that can help to do just that.
Pretty much every piece of technology has an off button, and you should have one as well. There should come the point in the day where you can remove yourself from the stress and problems of the day. Most people have a problem doing this because it seems that their work day never ends. However, the work day will never end unless you allow it to stop a given time. Give yourself a specific time during the day when you plan on finishing up with whatever you have for the day and remove yourself from the situation. This concept also means turning off work notifications on your phone and signing out of your work email. There has to be a point when you no longer concentrate on work and focus on the other aspects of your life.
You will not be able to achieve the balance you need in your life if you don’t respect the boundaries you set in place. If you have created a routine for yourself, it is important that you stick with it so that you can establish a culture and a lifestyle that promotes predictability. Now, this might seem challenging in the beginning because there will be times when you feel like there is more you can be doing like another email to respond to or another problem at work to solve. However, you must respect your boundaries, so if you tell yourself that you are done working at a certain time, make sure you stick with it. It will be hard to expect others to respect your boundaries if you don’t respect them yourself.
Meditation is beneficial to help you clear your mind and relieve yourself of any stress or anxiety. You can perform a routine in the morning to start your day or in the evening once you have completed all the tasks of the day. Meditating will help you activate your parasympathetic nervous system which can put you in a calm, and relaxed state of mind. Take a few minutes during the day and simply practice deep breathing or grounding your senses within your current surroundings. You will find that by performing these meditation exercises, you will have clearer thoughts, less stress, and feel more prepared to tackle whatever is front of you.