6 Methods to Restore Your Work-Life Balance

With the increases in technology such as cell phones and fax machines, it's no wonder that so many have found that work has crept into their personal lives. It may seem that no matter where you go, you cannot get away from work!

If this is the case, then you may be feeling stressed, tired, burnt out, or relationships with loved ones are suffering. It is therefore time to restore your work-life balance. So how can you begin to restore this balance?

➢ Change Your Habits – It is easy to get into the habit of bringing your work home in your briefcase. If you do not have to, do not do this. Otherwise, you will waste a lot of your time at home still thinking about the work you could be doing. If you absolutely have to bring work home, be sure to schedule a time when you will work on it later. Then make sure to enjoy doing other non-work things until that time arrives. If you work from home, you are presented with unique work-life balance challenges. Try to get into the habit of working until a specific time, and then closing up your office until the next day.

➢ Say “No” When Necessary – You may be the only one at work who does not have children, so the expectation may be that you can do overtime or flex your hours to fit the schedule of others. If this conflicts with your personal life, then be sure to speak up. The same goes for people with children. You may have to speak up if something you are being asked to do at work conflicts with an important event that involves your children.

➢ Explore Alternate Locations to Do Your Job – If you have a computer job, you may be able to arrange working from home instead of having to go into the office every day. If you are a medical transcriptionist, for example, you may be able to find online work from home doing this instead of working in a hospital or clinic.

➢ Change Your Mindset – Most times, things will not fall apart if you take some time off. If you own your own business, be sure to develop loyal employees that you can trust if you are away for a few days.

➢ Delegate - Learn to delegate tasks. Delegate what can be done by others, and do the tasks that you like most or that require you be the one to do them. This applies to both work and home. At home, this may mean delegating particular household tasks to your children as part of their chore list.

➢ Use Timers – It is easy to be busy, but not always to be productive. Make sure that you make a list of what needs to get done that will move you forward. Then set a timer, and plan to get that task accomplished during that time.

In summary, it is important to restore your work-life balance. Following the methods described above can help you achieve this.