There is not one definition for life-balance. It seems to be different for everyone. However, if you can achieve contentment in your personal life, that happiness is likely to spill over into your life at work. You can imagine—or perhaps you know from experience—that people with tumultuous or melancholic lives outside of work are likely to be distracted or sullen at work.
These are not ingredients for an accomplished career! Happier employees are generally more productive and successful. Balancing your personal life can be planned and achieved, just like any goal.
Here are four steps to reaching a balanced personal life.
Time management
In order to balance your personal life, make sure you have one. This might mean scheduling time for it. Work smarter and more efficiently, not necessarily harder. Figure out what options your employer offers to help protect that time and use them: flexible hours, a compressed workweek, telecommuting or job sharing. This way, you have more time during your workweek for those personal pursuits.
Managing your environment
Next, determine your priorities for that sacred personal time. Is this going to be social time? Time for health and wellness, such as a fitness or yoga class? A spiritual endeavor? Reading? Date night? You might even be able to multitask. For example, if you’re stuck at your child’s soccer practice in the evening, you can simultaneously knit or catch up with a loved one on the phone. Just be sure to leave work at work and protect that boundary. Even during your busiest weeks, plan for some sort of compressed version of your personal time. A quick lunch with a friend or just a twenty-minute workout is better than nothing!
Managing other people’s expectations of you
Nurture your relationships with friends and family. Don’t neglect others because you’re busy with other pursuits. If you’ve scheduled a happy hour with friends at five o’clock, work as productively and efficiently as you can that day, so you can scoot out the door at 4:30!
Just be sure to nurture the supportive relationships in your life, not the toxic and demanding ones. Some people are time-consuming, draining and judgmental. When you’re trying to maximize your happiness, don’t waste your time with the negativity.
Construct your own approach to life
Ultimately, you only have one life and you must command control of it. Challenge what’s imposed on you! Take care of your body first—eat well and exercise. This will help your mood and energy level, both at work and at home. Happiness and a pursuit of your well-being are choices you make multiple times throughout the day.
Are you looking for a new job?
Decide to go after peace and harmony in your free time! Personal fulfillment will translate into efficient, high-energy production at work, and soon, a successful career. Contact us today to learn more or check out available jobs to get started today!
