Achieving The Perfect Work-life Balance

By Author: Margo Kleman
Total Articles: 2
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As a harried business professional, it never seems like there is enough time in the day to do everything. Especially as life progresses and you begin a family, work obligations begin interfering with personal life and vice versa. The dilemma that arises is trying to figure out how to achieve that perfect balance between work and life, especially as you strive to advance your career without inhibiting the home life. Here are five tips to consider in order to alleviate the burden of managing the hectic professional lifestyle:

1) Establish Routines- Sometimes our lives get so hectic that it seems like schedules always fall through and constantly change as more things pop up. However, not sticking to some daily routines can mess with your productivity and the rate at which you accomplish tasks. Although it may seem like a routine will block out more time from your day and inhibit your activities, it actually promotes them by establishing a positive mindset and forms healthy habits. For instance, don’t spend your early work hours checking email but keep it open for projects that require a fresh mind. Or establish a wake-up ...
... routine that involves you taking your time to get ready and prepare for the day ahead, instead of rushing to get to work as soon as you wake up.

2) Take A Break- Resting may seem counterproductive for a business professional who is trying to achieve a good work-life balance but it is essential to keep the gears turning. When a person just constantly keeps going without any breaks, they are likely to burn out which will hurt your work productivity and dampen your home life. Block out break times throughout the day where you forget about work and errands that need to be done and instead, meditate. Whether you do some deep breathing exercises or play a quick game of Candy Crush, take the time to forget about the worries of the world and relax. This will ultimately allow you to achieve better focus when you return to work, improving results and making you happier with your life.

3) Live Healthily- The key to remaining focus and juggling the various aspects life throws at you is remaining healthy. Once again, you need to take time out of your hectic schedule to get regular exercise. A lot of successful business professionals swear by the effectiveness of incorporating exercise into your lifestyle because it helps achieve further focus, relieves stress, and keeps your body from ballooning. However, exercise alone isn’t going to keep you at optimal health, so it should be paired with a nutritious diet. True, fast food is rather convenient to the constantly on-the-go professional, but it is extremely unhealthy and could leave you groggy without much energy. Be sure to drink lots of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and keep away from those sugary drinks that will only lead to a crash of energy.

4) Communicate Often- It is so easy to get swept up into work but when that happens, you disregard the ones who matter most in your life –your friends and family. Even when you find yourself working long hours and too tired to make that phone call to your family member, push yourself to remain in contact as often as possible. The social interaction will not only prevent family members or friends from drifting away but also motivate you to continue to do your best. We live in a generation that is connected to their devices making work available wherever we go, but lets not forget that these devices are supposed to keep us in contact with loved ones and not the contrary.

5) Unplug- On the same token, those devices that are meant to keep us connected to the world can also distract us from truly living life. Sometimes we become too absorbed in technology and forget about maintaining life in reality, which is difficult to do in this electronic based society. Take a conscious effort to disconnect from technology when you get the chance to relax and enjoy those around you. Enjoy this time apart from technology and use it as a way to break away from the chaos of the world.

You might be thinking that these tips are conflicting to the purpose of finding time in the day to balance work and life. However, without taking breaks away from the demands of a professional life, you will never really be able to enjoy your personal life. Don’t worry, you can still advance in your career even when you don’t work 24/7 because by taking the time to achieve balance, you allow yourself to enjoy the ride along the way.

Source: Howes, Lewis. "5 Ways to Achieve Balance as an Entrepreneur." Entrepreneur. N.p., 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228412

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