Achieving Work-Life Balance: The Ultimate Guide

There must have been times when you feel that your life has no other purpose than working. Don’t worry. You’re not alone. We’ve all been there.

Juggling the demands of one’s career and personal life is like an ongoing war – there is no clear winner. It often seems that work precedents over everything else in our lives. Maybe it’s your desire to succeed personally, or maybe, it’s just the load of work, but it can make you forget about your own well-being, more often than not. Therefore, it goes without saying, that, striking a balance between work and having enough time + energy to enjoy your non-professional life, is of utmost importance. Even more so, when modern technology has made it possible to work outside the office as well. And here, we will be talking about all the essential rules that one needs to follow to achieve work-life balance.

What is Work-Life Balance?

To many, it seems like a vague concept. An elusive term used to describe a near-impossible goal, especially for those who are highly competent. But it is real, and achievable.

Work-life balance is the act of regulating your working capacity (physical and mental) and time invested on your work and your non-work life. It means to adjust your work life and non-work life so that they do not collide and disrupt each other. This is something that, if effectively achieved can enable you to accomplish your work goals while leaving you with the energy to spend on yourself as well.

This balance allows you to have time for yourself as well, making you more energetic and accomplished, which will also motivate you further towards your work. However, the balance is not always perfect, it’s not half-and-half. It just means that you feel productive and are productive towards work while still enjoy your non-work activities – like enough time for your family.

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Why do you need a Work-Life Balance?

The primary objective of work-life balance is, as aforementioned, to help oneself make more productive at work, while keeping yourself satisfied and content. When you’re happy with your non-work life, you tend to perform well at your work, and when you’re satisfied with your work-life, you’re happy with your other life as well.

It benefits you directly, but it also benefits the organization you are working for. Hence, it is an important subject, not only for you, as an individual, but for the organization, and broadly, the economy as a whole. That is why, many notable figures encourage the concept of a Work-Life balance.

 How to achieve Work-Life Balance?

Here are some ways to attain a good work-life balance in your everyday life. Of course, note that such suggestions differ from person to person. And one mantra may not work on everyone. After all, people come from all kinds of backgrounds, families, societies and profession.

• Accept the “No perfect work-life balance” rule

This should not come as a surprise. While we’re going on and on about the importance of a healthy work life balance, we also have to acknowledge the fact that work-life balance is not a half-and-half thing. Because, work makes up most of your life – that’s the hard truth.

So, when you hear the term “work-life balance” (it is a term that will be used quite frequently throughout the article), don’t imagine yourself being extremely productive at work and leaving early to spend the rest of the day with your friends or family. While that may be ideal, it’s not always possible.

Don’t try to make a perfect schedule, instead, go for a realistic one. Maybe you will have to focus on your work more for a few days, which may leave you a bit freer for other activities later in the week. You have to remember that balance is achieved over time, not each day. Also, you need to remain flexible about your goals. Sometimes you may need to travel for work for long period of times, but after that, also learn to give some time to your family and friends.

• · It’s okay to unplug

With modern tech, the whole world is accessible anywhere, anytime. But unfortunately, so is work. It’s hard to leave behind even after a full work-day. You can try to leave work behind at your office, but it’s difficult to do so. And if you’re working towards the completion of a project, or maybe towards a promotion, it’s even more difficult.

But remember, giving your best doesn’t mean working yourself to the point of a breakdown. So, you have to put away your work mentally. And if that’s not possible, unplug. Turn off your notifications, and avoid checking emails outside work hours. And it’s easier if you have a separate email for work and a separate phone, too. Don’t do anything work-related for some time. It helps.

There also needs to be boundaries with the co-workers. Avoid taking projects you’ll have to toil late into the night, and communicate clearly with your colleagues if they ask you to do a part of their work. You should help out once in a while, but prioritize your health over work. If it is impossible to leave your work behind after work hours, set a time limit for that in your home, and don’t work beyond it.

• · Prioritize Essential tasks and reduce Trivial activities

Taking small breaks while working is helpful for relieving stress, and sometimes, engaging in mindless activities can be helpful, like browsing through your Social Media aimlessly. But, these activities are trivial, and fruitless, at least, during work hours. Instead, if you need a break, simply step away from your chair, stretch, and walk around the office. Because browsing through your social feeds can be addictive.

Prioritize your tasks. Since the goal is to get the most value out of your workday and enjoy time outside work, you need to complete the most important tasks first. Identify tasks from high input to low input or high impact to low. And work accordingly. Similarly, for long-term projects, put milestones to complete work throughout the week, or month. Determine which hours you want to work on a particular task, and maybe, a deadline. Avoid distractions as far as you can.

• · Learn to reschedule and reorganize

Maybe you do have a schedule: a schedule of prioritized tasks from most important to least. But due to unforeseen circumstances, sticking to the schedule is not always possible. So, to achieve a healthy work-life balance, you also need to be able to change schedules and adapt to that. For example, you might have to complete a particular task first, so, you might have to reschedule your other tasks for the next day. Or maybe, you might have to stay late to complete a project, for which, you might have to reschedule a gathering. But if you have to, do so, without hesitating. After all, a person only has so much of mental energy.

And if it means delegating your work, don’t hesitate either. Identify any areas where you can restructure work. Maybe, if you have a teammate you can hand off your tasks to, while taking over theirs, you can do so. It can help you complete your work and also fulfill other obligations. If doing things in a team makes more sense, then, why not? Don’t be afraid to reschedule and reorganize if it means better for both your work and yourself.

• ·Effective communication is key

Under any circumstances, communication is the key factor towards success. And it is of utmost importance in your workplace, more so, with your employers. An open line of communication with your manager or senior about your workload is crucial. Supervisors / Managers are responsible for achieving company goals as well as employee satisfaction. So, a good two-way communication can tune that out.

If you feel too much workload, then, you must be able to tell them directly. Maybe they are unaware of the pressure they’re putting you into. So, effective communication with the higher-ups is necessary. Be honest and professional during these conversations, and don’t always complain, but also propose a necessary solution. Maybe the solution lies in re-distributing workloads, hiring more people, training employees, time boundaries, etc. But make sure to communicate effectively.

• ·Practice stress-management techniques

Even with you practicing all work-life balance techniques, there will still be moments of stress and anxiety from work. But don’t let that ruin your health – mental or physical. It’s always a good idea to practice some stress-management techniques to stay healthy. Regular physical exercise is a common stress-reliever. Meditation is another option, which, if incorporated in your daily routine, enhances your mind and thinking. Or simply, follow-up on a hobby, like sketching, or writing, or simply reading a good book before bed. Such little techniques can help you calm yourselves, and get rid of unnecessary stress.

• ·  Protect your private time

After a good productive day, your private time is your reward. It doesn’t have to be after a day, maybe after a productive week. Nonetheless, allow yourself to indulge in your own activities in your private time. Socialize, if you want to. Or simply continue with our hobbies. Even if browsing your social media is your favorite thing to do on your favorite time, why not?

Even if more work gets thrown your way, you can respectfully decline (if you’ve completed your responsibilities). Your private time is yours to protect. Real people can’t afford to devote 100% to everything they do. It’s okay to feel guilty while declining but it’s not bad altogether. Here, too, effective communication between you and your employer is the key.

However, it is important to understand that work-life balance means differently to different people. Just remember that balance is necessary in all parts of life, so, make sure to do what makes you productive, satisfied and happy.