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Long work days. Answering emails after you leave the office. Thinking of work while you fall asleep. Unnecessary meetings that cut into your productivity.
Nowadays, there are thousands of little obstacles that make it difficult to maintain a good work-life balance. And then there’s the big question: What is good work-life balance? Is it even reachable?
The average person will spend around 90,000 hours, or 10.27 years, working. On the day-to-day scale, most people spend a third of their lives working. (Given an 8 hour work day and 8 hours to sleep.) So it’s no wonder that we are desperate to balance all that work with something more fulfilling.
How to do that is a bit more complicated, but far from impossible. Here are some steps to help you build a healthy work-life balance.
What Exactly Is Work-Life Balance?
The first question you need to answer is, what is work-life balance? This will be different for everyone. Is it the ability to do what you want, when you want? Or being able to stop thinking about work when you clock out?
There is no right or wrong answer, but knowing what goal you’re working towards is important as you construct boundaries and aim for that perfect work-life balance.
Consider some of these as markers of good work-life balance. Which ones do you want to see implemented into your own life?
- Leaving work on time most days.
- Taking regular breaks during the workday to eat, stretch, or walk.
- Using all vacation and personal days without guilt or pressure to stay connected while away.
- Not checking messages after hours.
- Spending quality time with family or friends during evenings and weekends.
- Pursuing hobbies or personal interests outside of work.
- Having energy to care for yourself at the end of the day.
- Being able to say “no” to extra work.
- Having flexibility in your schedule when needed (like being able to go to a doctor's office without fear of repercussions).
- Feeling mentally present in both your personal life and work responsibilities.
- Feeling emotionally fulfilled in your job.
- Getting consistent, restful sleep.
- Getting your financial needs fully met by your job.
You might disagree with some of these points, and that’s okay. A good work-life balance is one that is specific to you.
Importance of Work-Life Balance
Why does work-life balance matter? Turns out, having a strong work-life balance is actually super important to your physical and mental health, as well as an important factor in the health of your relationships.
A healthy balance of work and personal life leads to:
- Greater mental health and happiness
- Improved physical health
- Higher productivity and quality of work
It’s not just the workers who are happier when they achieve work-life balance. Happier workers are more productive workers and more likely to produce high-quality work.
Tips for a Successful Work-Life Balance
A good work-life balance is what it says: a balancing act. It may take some time to get it just right. At first, you might lean too heavily on the life side and fall behind at work. Then you might overcompensate and throw yourself back into work. Be patient with yourself as you navigate this balance, and keep working at it until you find something that feels good and works for your lifestyle.
Here are some tips for a successful work-life balance:
- Define what work-life balance means to you: For example “I want to come home every day and not think about work,” or “I want to use all of my vacation days.”
- Make concrete goals: To you, work-life balance might be not coming home exhausted. Think about what you can do to get there. Will you take more breaks? Leave on time? Choose a goal that can be easily tracked and accomplished.
- Find people to hold you accountable: It can be hard to break habits, especially when there is a lot of pressure on you to keep things the way they were. It can help to have a support group of people that cares for you and is rooting for you.
- Set clear boundaries – Define work hours and stick to them. Avoid answering emails or taking calls after-hours. Communicate these boundaries with your coworkers and employer.
- Prioritize tasks: You’ll still be expected to finish your work on time. Examine how you spend your day. Are you prioritizing tasks? Focusing when you need to? Use to-do lists or time-blocking to get more done in a shorter period of time. Greater efficiency will allow you more time for your personal life.
- Unplug regularly – Create screen-free time in your day to disconnect from digital demands. This includes when you go home after a long day. Although it can be attempting to scroll on your phone or put on the TV, this can eat up precious personal time. Instead, be intentional with yourself and the people around you.
- Make time for relationships – Nurture your personal life by spending quality time with friends, family, or your partner. Get outside on the weekends and in the evenings and do things. Your home can be a safe space, but don’t forget to live your life outside of it.
- Create a dedicated workspace – If working from home, keep work and personal spaces separate to mentally shift between roles. Keep this space clean and clutter-free.
- Set realistic expectations – Accept that you can’t do everything perfectly. Progress matters more than perfection. Rarely do people love their jobs 100% of the time, and that’s okay. Discomfort and stress are only bad in large amounts. Set expectations of what work-life balance looks like, and make sure you don’t surpass your own limits.
- Reflect and adjust regularly – Assess your balance often. If something feels off, make small changes to realign. If your work is going through a rough patch, you might need to put more effort into it. If your home life needs more attention, adjust accordingly.
If you struggle with boundaries between work and home life or need help establishing a work-life balance, talking to a therapist can help. A good therapist will help you get to the root of the issue and build coping skills to manage it.
