.In today’s world, where everyone is competing to be number one, it can seem extremely difficult if not impossible to find a balance between our work and our personal lives. When we want to be successful, it’s hard not to throw our whole selves into a project, and live and breathe it until we see it through. But working harder doesn’t necessarily equate to working better. In order to produce high-quality results, we can’t work 24/7, we have to disconnect here and there and reboot. While it is important to set goals and achieve them, we must also be sure to take time out for ourselves and include other important aspects of our lives like family, hobbies, and general personal happiness.
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Getting the work-life balance right
- TAKE BREAKS. Take note of your energy levels and come up for air when you’re feeling depleted. Some people use the Pomodoro Technique, and these days there’s also an app called Timerdoro, using a similar method in which you work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break.
- WORK-LIFE BLEND. With jobs becoming more flexible and many of us working out of our homes, integration of work and life is starting to gain popularity. Instead of confronting the reality that work time cannot also be sleep time, free time or family time, some of us are embracing a belief that we can get our work done while also enjoying the other important aspects of our lives.
- PUT YOUR WORK AWAY. When you’re working on something new and interesting it’s easy to get excited and to want to keep working on it. You might take your work home with you…maybe that’s all you talk about, and suddenly it becomes your life. If you’re working round the clock you will start to operate at subpar levels until you eventually burnout. Create a schedule that is hard enough to push the project forward but will also keep you feeling fresh so that when Monday rolls around, you’re bursting with great ideas.
- KNOW WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU ARE. If you’re not comfortable in an environment where you have to create structure, you’ll find it difficult to achieve a healthy balance. It takes a lot of self-discipline to stick to a routine when you’re in charge of it. It’s not that different from the consultant mind frame–not everyone has the capacity to do it. Know how you operate and what type of setting you need to get your work done.
- SELF-CARE”. Self-care is often related to yoga mindfulness meditation. But you don’t have to join an ashram in India to achieve balance in life. It is so important to take care of yourself, not only to do better work but to also have peace of mind. Making yourself a priority might mean carving out “me time” into your schedule. Set aside time each day or each week to relax, recharge and reset, whether that’s going to the gym or allowing yourself to indulge in your favorite TV series, don’t let your needs come last.
Podcast production by Podcast Monster
Graphic design by Alfred Boland
More Resources
A Survival Guide for Parents Who Work Remotely – by Doist
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