Having a good work-life balance means equally prioritizing the demands of your career and the demands of your personal life. Finding this healthy balance can look different for everyone, but it’s essential that you do.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be challenging as the demands and unpredictability of everyday life work against you. It’s not uncommon to struggle with getting that coveted balance. Making equal time for your work and your personal life can be extra difficult in the spring season. This is when we may tend to prioritize our work life by working long hours before our summer vacations.
The arrival of a new season means it’s the perfect time to seek out a better work-life balance. March 20th, the only day of the year where there is equal light and darkness, is when Spring Equinox takes place. Many think this is why seeking balance in all aspects of your life is an important thing to do in March.
It’s important to focus on improving your work-life balance throughout the entire year, not just for a month. Prioritizing your work-life balance all the time can help you form healthy habits, maintain good mental health, and feel much more fulfilled. Here are 6 ways you can begin!
Take time off work if you need it
Taking time off from work is not only important, it’s also your right. But knowing when to take time off from work can be tricky. You may think you need to save your days off for emergencies or when you have unavoidable plans, but those aren’t the only reasons to take your time off.
Try taking time off just for the sake of having time away from work. If you’re feeling sick, unproductive, or tired, use your vacation or sick days. If you feel like you could use a day at home to relax, then take that time off!
Learn to set healthy boundaries
Wanting to help your coworkers or boss is a good thing, but not when it negatively affects your mental health. We typically tend to overwork ourselves or take on more responsibilities than we should in order to avoid conflict and guilt within our workplace.
However, it’s vital that you take time for yourself. You need to recognize your capacity and learn to say no. Try saying no to extra projects to avoid feeling overwhelmed. And remember, if it’s not in your job description, it’s not your responsibility. That means you can choose to say no.
Find time to unplug
Unplugging from the digital world gives you the chance to be more present in the moment. Embrace finding moments during the day where you’re away from your work computer to truly enjoy what you’re doing. Try spending your lunch break outside for some time away from screens. If you’re prone to checking your phone for work-related things, consider deleting your work apps from your phone or leaving your phone in the office as you step away.
Prioritize activities that make you feel good
Your job should be important to you, but it should never be your entire life. Don’t forget to prioritize the things that make you feel good outside of work, like seeing friends and family, or spending a quiet night by yourself doing your favourite hobby. When planning activities that make you feel good, try creating a calendar to schedule things in so you can prioritize them better.
Practice identifying your needs
Carve out time in your day to reconnect with yourself, even if this needs to happen during your actual work shift. Doing these little mental check-ins with yourself will allow you to be more in tune with your emotions. Understanding your emotions can help you figure out what your mind and body need to feel good, and what’s currently missing from your work-life balance.
Being able to identify what you require to feel good can help you build a more rewarding work-life balance, and keep you from becoming overwhelmed.
Get a good night’s sleep
Getting a good night’s rest is so important in keeping yourself healthy. Your mind and body need about 7-8 hours of sleep to properly reset before starting the next day.
Getting sufficient sleep will help you wake up feeling more refreshed, and will help you focus throughout the day. Taking care of your physical health is vital to having a good work-life balance. When your body doesn’t feel good, it can be hard to prioritize anything else.
Don’t put off improving your work-life balance
Not having a healthy work-life balance has its consequences. Just like balanced nutrition is needed for a healthy diet, work-life balance is needed for a healthy mind and body. We need a variety in how we spend our time in order to stay healthy, both mentally and physically.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can be productive all the time, or that you even need to be. Overworking yourself all day long is not productive. You need a healthy balance of both work and personal life in order to feel good.
For more info on the significance of work-life balance, read this article from Better Up. If you’re the leader of a team, this article has some great tips on how you can help your staff improve their work-life balance.
For more general self-care tips, follow us on Instagram @lotiwellness and check out our other blog posts.
