Learning to maintain a healthy work-life balance is tricky, yet necessary to sustain a happy lifestyle. Holding down a busy full-time job as well as putting enough time aside to see family is hard in itself, let alone trying to find space in your schedule to contribute towards a membership association as well.
We have come up with a list of the top five tips to help maintain a healthy work-life balance:
Set Boundaries
Make a change in your lifestyle by creating a list of the most important things to you and set up boundaries around them. This is a sure-fire way to avoid any unwanted interruptions during family time, or on the other hand, make sure that a big work project is done on time.
It may be helpful to plan for the coming months and outline which events are most important to you. Whether it’s birthdays, anniversaries, or important work deadlines, mapping out your agenda may sound laborious if you’re not used to doing so, but it can really help to reinforce the boundaries you make. Ultimately this will alleviate stress during your time away from the desk and help you to focus on what is important.
Delegate Work
Although one-man bands can sound great, there’s a reason why music groups are more popular in the charts. Doing everything at once is impossible, but your team is there to help you. Communication is key to understanding how and when others can support you, and you can support them. It may be that others are less busy than you think and have the resources to help you from becoming over encumbered with work.
Talk to your team and establish a collaborative working environment, this will help your office or association run much more efficiently.
Use Your Days Off
Life gets in the way of everything. Sometimes it can feel like you are going home to a second job, with your only break of the day being your commute. It’s important to take the time to do the things that you want to do.
Whilst jobs around the house can get in the way of vital “me-time” when you’re at home try to shut off from your day job and any association work. Use your weekend to have fun, whether that be time with your family, walks in the park or a duvet day. Remember your boundaries, and that days off are for you, not for tackling work problems.
Prioritise Your Health
Prioritising your health does not just mean booking a doctor’s appointment that you’ve been meaning to for the past few weeks, it means looking after all aspects of your health. Consider whether you are getting enough sleep, and whether you may benefit from a change of schedule. Better sleep can lead to a healthier mind, and an improvement in your mental health.
Unregulated work hours can lead to burnout, which will leave you feeling deflated and without energy to get through the day. Ask yourself if you are leaving enough time to exercise and eat healthily, as these are both contributing factors to your mental health.
Take Breaks
During your work hours, make sure that you are taking regular breaks throughout the day (that doesn’t mean a sandwich in one hand and a computer mouse in the other). Taking regular breaks throughout the day will actually give your brain time to recharge, leading to an increase in your performance.
A lack of breaks can reinforce bad habits, such as a poor diet and sleep schedule. Although it sounds counterproductive to stop working, it will actually help with your productivity levels and prevent work related stress.
Let us know what your secret is to maintain a healthy work-life balance, and which of these tips you are going to try for yourself.
