Work-Life Balance: Seven tips applicable today.

What if you could have the perfect work-life balance?

Many of us struggle to find a good balance between work and time spent with our loved ones or simply doing what we love. Many of us burn out before we hit the 40-year-old mark. What if this could be avoided?

‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.’
Confucius

Confucius lived in a world that was far less busy and bustling than the world we live in now. And yet, he was right when he said we should choose a job we love so much that we do not feel like we are at work. Nonetheless, there are a few things we should do in order to achieve work-life balance no matter how much we love our jobs.

Here are 5 tips:

#1. Schedule downtime for yourself every day.

It is essential to have a little time to ourselves each and every day. At the beginning of every week, write down some activities you want to do with friends and family. Define projects you want to accomplish that will get your mind off of work. Doing this every week will get you into a routine of having time off for yourself and help you to avoid the ‘burn out cycle’ that might have already started.

#2. Leave out activities that take up too much time and energy.

As an example, if you have a colleague that likes to take breaks and gossip and you don’t, stop taking the breaks with that colleague. Don’t take breaks with someone just to please him/her. Use the time instead to finish work earlier and have more time for yourself at the end of the day.

#3. Re-think your tasks and chores.

Make a weekly list of what you absolutely need to finish and see if you can delegate some of these tasks or scrap them completely. For instance, if you spend hours on a Saturday going grocery shopping, you might want to consider shopping online and having it delivered to your doorstep. You can save time and energy and do something more productive and fun.

#4. Move and groove! People are good at finding excuses not to exercise.

The most common excuse is a lack of time. Daily exercise is essential for mental and physical well-being. If you can’t make it to the gym, try going out on walks with your friends rather than sitting at a restaurant table talking or gossiping. Re-use your allocated down time to do two things at once – exercise and have fun with friends!

#5. Relax!

Take 10 minutes every day to stop all activities. Just focus, breath and relax. Clear your mind and enjoy the peace you have for those 10 minutes. A little relaxation can change everything. Breathing deeply and clearing your head is like taking a step back. It is a great way to find answers to your problems and be mindful.

It might seem impossible at first to find the appropriate work-life balance, but if you follow the five tips above for a month or more, you will start feeling a difference in your life and see that it is possible to find a good balance between work and life.

Please feel free to share your experiences with us by writing a comment or by contacting us.

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And remember, you can reach work-life balance if you give yourself a chance to do it. If you need our help, we are here to help you. MKB Excellent Executive Coaching supports you in getting you from where you are, to where you want to be!

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MKB Excellent Executive Coaching Team, Celine Eros