Learn some essential tips and mindsets to help you get a better work-life balance so that you have more personal time, social time, and feel healthier.
November 30, 2023 Table of Contents52% of workers 1 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021/04/05/indeed-study-shows-that-worker-burnout-is-at-frighteningly-high-levels-here-is-what-you-need-to-do-now/ reported feeling burnt out in 2021.
If you feel like work has started to take over your life, you might feel physically exhausted, emotionally empty, and possibly apathetic.
In this article, we’ll give you many tips you can implement today to help boost your work-life balance.
What are the main challenges you face in achieving a healthy work-life balance?
Work-life balance refers to the balance between professional responsibilities and personal life activities. It involves managing time and resources to fulfill job requirements while prioritizing health, fun, and family needs.
When you’re out of balance, you might be approaching burnout. Being burnt out is like using a tech device and never letting the battery level get above 30%. Except your phone works just as well at 30% as 100%. But when you’re burnt out, your 30% efforts are far less effective.
If you’ve ever been burnt out, you know it can feel something like this:
Keeping a log of your daily activities can offer surprising insights into how you spend your time, allowing you to make data-driven decisions for a more balanced life.
This way, you can discern if you want to spend 7 hours of your weekly spare time on the dad jokes subReddit. (And no shade on Reddit. I love that site! But you get the point—the more you know about how you use your time, the more agency you can bring to it).
Action Step: Start a “Life Log” for one week, jotting down how you spend each hour. I’ve found the app Timeular to be easy and effective. Review the log at the end of the week to identify patterns and make adjustments for a better work-life balance.
The point isn’t to beat yourself up for not being productive enough—downtime is important! It’s more to get a clear assessment of your days.
Studies have shown 5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5455070/#:~:text=Evidence%20from%20diaphragmatic%20breathing%20studies,test%20performance%20in%20primary%20school that deep breathing reduces stress and anxiety by activating the vagal nerve (a major nerve regulating heart rate, digestion, and many other involuntary functions). Try incorporating short breathwork sessions into your day to reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and act as a quick reset for your body and mind.
I had one stretch last year where I felt particularly burnt out. To get through it, I set a timer for, and I kid you not, every five minutes throughout my entire work day to take ten breaths and get back into my body.
That level of interruption isn’t sustainable, but find a pace that could work for you.
Action Step: Schedule three slots tomorrow for 5-minute breathwork breaks. You can check out this list for some easy breathing activities.
A flexible day in your workweek can provide the wiggle room you need to attend to personal matters, reducing the stress of fitting everything into a traditional 9-5 schedule.
Action Step: Negotiate with your employer for one flexible workday per week, where you can adjust your hours to suit personal obligations and self-care activities better.
Too many unread emails or unnecessary apps can create digital stress that spills over into your personal life.
Even a few minutes a day can go a long way!
Action Step: Schedule time each day for a “digital declutter.” Use this time to organize your emails, delete unused apps, clear your computer desktop, and organize your Google Drive.
Learning something new can be invigorating, especially if it’s outside your regular job description.
Learning a new skill isn’t just fun; it’s incredible for your brain and memory.
One compelling study 6 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797613499592?papetoc= assigned several hundred older adults to three groups. For fifteen hours a week for three months, one group actively learned a new skill (like knitting or Photoshop). One group did enjoyable activities in that time, like watching a movie or reminiscing with friends. And one group worked quietly at home, listened to the radio, or did easy puzzles.
The group who learned a new skill had significant gains in their memory compared to the other groups, and some used their skill-learning to ward off dementia.
Action Step: This weekend, swap skills with a friend or family member—teach them a skill you have and let them teach you a hobby or skill they excel in.
Sometimes, a quick mental escape can help you recharge and refocus during a busy workday.
Action Step: Keep a folder of inspiring images, quotes, or short videos on your desktop for a 2-minute “visual escape” when you need a mental break.
You could also try Good News Network, which shares optimistic news.
Studies suggest 7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7744612/ that when people eat while using their phones, they eat more than their hunger level calls for.
Eating lunch without distractions can improve digestion and provide a meaningful pause in your workday. It can help you enjoy your food more, eat the right amount, and get a much-needed break from the internet.
Action Step: Commit to having an “unplugged lunch” at least once this week, where you eat without checking your phone, email, or watching videos.
This one has also been huge for me. Several years ago, I watched this instructional video on the “Do Nothing Meditation” from meditation master Shinzen.
This practice helped me realize I had spent all my waking hours in “go mode.” Even when I was meditating, I was straining, focusing, and trying to get somewhere. Nowhere in my day was I making time to do nothing. This epiphany kickstarted my journey of learning how to rest.
Allowing your mind to wander intentionally can stimulate creativity and offer a break from mental fatigue.
Action Step: Allocate 5-10 minutes for “intentional daydreaming.” Close your eyes and let your mind wander. As Shinzen says, “If you notice the intention to control your attention, let go of that intention.”
We spend so much of our days controlling and dictating our minds. It can be nice to let it run free for a few moments.
Engaging all your senses can quickly and effectively shift your mental state and reconnect with your body and mind of pleasure.
Action Step: Keep a “five senses reset” kit on your desk with items that engage each sense (e.g., essential oils for smell, a textured stone for touch). Use it for a quick sensory break when you need to refocus.
Stepping away from the constant buzz of the online world can provide a refreshing mental cleanse, making room for other enriching activities.
The internet is so vastly stimulating; it can be nice to give it a rest for a day now and then.
Action Step: Choose one day a week or month to go “internet-free,” using the time to engage in offline hobbies, quality family time, or relax and recharge.
If your work-life balance is out of whack, then you’ll probably relate to some of these pains:
But if you can manage the tricky task of dialing in your work-life balance, then you can look forward to the following:
It can be hard to say no. Many of us say yes to social plans we’re not excited about, agree to help a friend move when we don’t have time, and take on every work project that comes our way.
If you never say no to others’ requests, it can be nearly impossible to say yes to yourself. The habit of saying yes to everything is a fast track to an overloaded schedule that leaves little time for self-care or family.
Actionable Tip: Try to respond to every offer (both personal and professional) with “Let me get back to you in the next 24 hours.”
Try this for a week. Don’t say “yes” to anything right away. Take some time to reflect on if it’s something you have the capacity (and desire) to take on.
It can be difficult to disconnect from work if you are afraid that doing so might cause you to miss opportunities. You might fear missing out on a new project, a promotion, or simply the chance to impress the boss.
Actionable Tip: Try making a “FOMO fund.”
Add money to this fund whenever you successfully ignore the urge to give into FOMO—like skipping an unnecessary work event to enjoy personal time. At the end of each month, use whatever money is in that fund to indulge in something that genuinely makes you happy and contributes to your work-life balance.
The societal emphasis on productivity often generates guilt when taking time out for self-care, making it seem like an indulgence rather than a necessity.
Actionable Tip: Establish a “self-care swap” with a friend or family member where you both commit to taking an hour or two for self-care each week and hold each other accountable. Knowing someone else is also taking time for themselves can help diminish your feelings of guilt.
Often, we feel bad engaging in self-care because of low self-worth. If that’s the case, you might appreciate some of the tips in this article.
Many equate busyness with productivity or self-worth, making stepping away from work or activities challenging to enjoy downtime or self-care.
Being overwhelmingly busy has become a badge of honor.
Actionable Tip: Reflect on the following questions:
Here’s a terrific 16.5-minute audio essay from Tim Kreider that picks apart the United States cultural busyness trap that so many Americans (and other nationalities) have fallen into.
Achieving work-life balance in a busy schedule involves prioritizing tasks and setting clear boundaries between work and leisure. Figure out how to make time for yourself when unplugged from work.
What are the consequences of neglecting work-life balance?Neglecting work-life balance can lead to negative outcomes, such as chronic stress, burnout, health problems, illnesses, and strained social lives. Over time, a poor work-life balance can also negatively affect your work performance and overall health and well-being.
How can I set boundaries between work and personal life?Setting boundaries between work and personal life involves clearly defining and sticking to your work hours. Use rituals or cues, like changing clothes or switching off your work computer, to signal the transition from work time to personal time.
What are some effective time management techniques to improve work-life balance?Effective time management techniques for improving work-life balance include using the Pomodoro Technique, the Eisenhower Matrix, or the ABCDE Priority Setting method. These techniques help you focus on urgent and important tasks, thus freeing up time for personal activities and helping you develop a good work-life balance.
How can employers support work-life balance for their employees?Employers can support work-life balance by offering flexible work arrangements and promoting a workspace culture that values time off. Implementing policies like mental health days, maternity or paternity leave, flexible schedules, and remote working options can go a long way in helping part-time and full-time professionals balance their lives, improve employee engagement, boost morale, and reduce turnover.
What are some practical tips for managing stress and avoiding burnout while striving for work-life balance?
Managing stress and avoiding burnout while striving for work-life balance involves proactive self-care and knowing when to return from work. Incorporate relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, exercise, or mindfulness into your daily routine to mitigate stress and depression and preempt burnout.
Finding the right work-life balance is crucial to building a healthy and happy life for yourself. But it can be hard. Especially if you struggle with any of the following:
But if you can put some of the tips into place from this article, you’ll be well on your way to creating a more spacious, more balanced, and less burnt-out life.
Best of luck on your work-life balance journey! If you’d like extra tips on time management, you might enjoy this article.
