Our culture celebrates work and productivity above many other joys in life. We’re constantly bombarded with email notifications and work calls, which can be even harder to separate from your home life when you work from home. Finding balance is possible. Here are five tips to balance productivity with your healthy, fulfilling life.
1. Set Your Intentions
It’s important to be aware of what you want out of a work-life balance. Start by getting introspective. Are your relationships at home suffering? Have you neglected the things you once loved to do? Are you losing yourself in your work identity? Or have you not been as productive as you’d like to be?
Write out what you value most and where you want to be. Then think about how to get there—be mindful about how you approach your job, your life outside it, and who you want to be.
2. Prioritize Your Important Tasks
The best way to start being productive is to plan out your workday and home life. Find out what matters the most to you in both spheres. For example, if you have a big project coming up, prioritize important deadlines. But if you have an important family milestone (a new baby, a family reunion, a big move) look for ways to prioritize that over working too much.
Planning your day, week, or month ahead can help you stay on track. Set realistic goals while allocating time for both work and personal activities. By planning ahead, you’ll be more intentional about prioritizing what matters most.
3. Set Boundaries
To stop work encroaching on your personal life, it’s important to sign off. Establish clear working hours and stick to them. Communicate your availability to colleagues and clients, and resist the urge to check emails or messages outside of these hours.
If you work from home, create a dedicated workspace to physically separate work from your personal life. It’s also important to set mental boundaries. When you finish work for the day, make a conscious effort to be present at home. Do things that help you disconnect from work-related thoughts. Focus on spending time with your family, keeping up with friends, or involving yourself in pet projects.
Not only will these help you have a better mindset the next day at work, you’ll also keep developing your own sense of personal identity.
4. Take Care of Your Physical Health
If you’re not in good physical health, you’re less likely to be productive and be able to relax afterward. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and regularly exercising.
Also, study after study shows how effective exercise is at relieving stress and anxiety. So incorporate movement into your daily routine, even if that means a short walk on your lunch break or stretching exercises between tasks. Avoid skipping meals or eating unhealthy snacks for quick energy. Proper nutrition fuels your body and mind, which helps you stay focused and productive throughout the day.
5. Let Go of Perfectionism
Being a perfectionist is an easy way to lose yourself in your work. Allow yourself the grace to mess up. Don’t let negative thoughts get the best of you. Not everything has to be 100% all the time. Some days you’ll be productive, and some you won’t. Focus instead on the amount of effort you put in, what resources were available to you at the time, and what you can learn from the experience.
Are You Struggling with Your Work-Life Balance?
If you’re feeling stressed out, disconnected from your life, or unable to complete regular tasks, it’s time to reach out to a therapist. In therapy, you can discover more about your personal values, how to cope with stress in a healthy way, and how to set boundaries.
To find out more about how life transitions therapy can help you be more productive in your life, please reach out to us.
