Finding a Healthy Work-Life Balance can be challenging!
As a business owner I understand that finding a work-life balance that works for you, can be challenging.
We wear multiple hats and juggle many responsibilities so it’s no wonder this can spill over into our personal lives. What personal life I hear you ask! 🤔
It’s tempting to work all hours as there is so much to do, how could you possibly take time away?
Running a business can be all consuming and if we let it, it can completely take over so that we can never switch off, we are unable to step away from business and be present for ourselves and others.
However, working longer hours doesn’t actually mean you are more productive, in fact it has the opposite effect! This is where establishing a good work / life balance comes in.
Why is having a Healthy Work-Life Balance so Important?
There are a number of reasons that we need to find a healthy balance between work and life:
- It reduces stress and helps you to avoid burnout
- It improves your health as you have more time available to focus on your wellbeing. This results in fewer illnesses and less time off sick!
- Achieving the balance means you are more refreshed, more motivated which results in increased productivity.
- It improves relationships with friends and family.
- It enables you to take time for yourself, to do things you enjoy which has a knock on effect to how you feel. You feel more positive which increases productivity and your problem solving skills!
The balance isn’t just about what time you start work and head home every day, it’s also about taking smaller breaks throughout the day which, studies show, improves creativity!
There’s no magic formula
When it comes to striking a balance, there really is no magic formula, it’s about doing what works and feels right to you. To get you started I’ve shared a few tips below.
Tips to Achieve a Healthy Work / Life balance?
- Choose the hours you are going to work and stick to them. Yes at times there may need to be a little give and take but aim to start and finish at the same time every day.
- Plan your working weeks, creating to do lists and prioritising what really needs to be done, be realistic with what you can achieve in a day.
- Work on improving your time management skills. An excellent way to do this is to work in time blocks – turn of all notifications, switch on a timer and focus on one thing at a time.
- Take smaller breaks during your working day.
- Learn to say no so you aren’t taking too much on.
- Set clear boundaries – let people know what you are and are not available for.
- Learn to delegate or ask for help, this will lighten the load and enable you to take time for yourself.
- Make sure you have time to do things for fun, including time just for you not just family!
And finally, don’t get overwhelmed with all the options on how you can achieve this balance, just choose one small thing and do it until it becomes habit and then think about adding something else.
Taking small steps is key to building habits that last and have the biggest impact overall.