There was a time when the boundaries between work and home were fairly straightforward. Today, however, work is likely to invade your personal life and maintaining work-life balance is no simple task. Technology that enables a constant connection to work can eat into time at home. Work-life balance can be especially difficult for parents of young children.
Still, work-life balance isn’t out of reach. Start by evaluating your relationship with work. Then apply specific strategies to help you strike a healthier balance.
Consider the cost
It can be tempting to rack up hours at work, especially if you’re trying to earn a promotion or manage an ever-increasing workload — or simply keep your head above water. If you spend most of your time working, your home life will take a hit. Consider the consequences of poor work-life balance:
Fatigue. When you’re tired, your ability to work productively and think clearly might suffer, affecting your professional reputation or leading to dangerous or costly mistakes.
Poor health. Stress is associated with adverse effects on the immune system and can worsen the symptoms you experience from any medical condition. Stress also puts you at risk of substance use.
Lost time with friends and loved ones. If you’re working too much, you might miss important family events or milestones. Doing so can leave you feeling left out and might harm relationships with your loved ones. It’s also difficult to nurture friendships if you’re always working.
Increased expectations. If you regularly work extra hours, you might be given more responsibility, which could lead to additional concerns and challenges.
Find a healthy balance
As long as you’re working, juggling your career and personal life demands will probably be an ongoing challenge. But if you can learn both to set limits and look after yourself, you can achieve the work-life balance that’s best for you.
Setting limits. You can’t manufacture time. If you don’t set boundaries, work or other obligations can leave you with no time for the activities and relationships you enjoy.
Track your time. Pay attention to your daily tasks, including work-related and personal activities. Decide what’s necessary and what satisfies you the most.
Manage your time. Cut or delegate activities you don’t enjoy, can’t handle, or share your concerns and possible solutions with your employer or others. Organize household tasks efficiently, such as running errands in batches or doing a load of laundry daily; don’t save all the laundry for your day off. Do what needs to be done and let the rest go.
Make a list. Put family events on a weekly calendar and keep a daily to-do list at home and work. Having a plan helps you maintain focus. When you don’t have a plan, it’s easy to get lost in the projects and priorities of others.
Learn to say “no.” Whether it’s a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project or your child’s teacher asking you to organize a class party, remember that it’s acceptable to say “no” respectfully. When you quit accepting tasks out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you’ll have more time for activities that are meaningful to you.
Leave work at work. Whenever possible, try to maintain appropriate boundaries between work and home. While it may be unrealistic to think that work responsibilities will never impact your personal or family life, it’s essential to maintain healthy boundaries between your work and personal life to give your best to both.
