Keeping up with everything we face in our daily lives can easily feel overwhelming. Learning to strike a healthy work-life balance can reduce stress, prevent burnout, and ultimately lead to a happier, healthier life.
What is work-life balance?
Work-life balance refers to our ability to maintain a healthy balance between professional and personal life. It is about managing time to ensure that work and personal time do not overlap or encroach with one another. Achieving work-life balance can help reduce stress, improve overall well-being, and increase productivity. It is important to remember that work-life balance is unique for everyone and each stage of life. It may require ongoing adjustments to maintain a healthy balance.
Tips to create a healthy work-life balance
Creating a healthy work-life balance is an ongoing effort. As your work or life circumstances change, you may find yourself needing to adjust how you spend your time to be effective at the many roles you occupy in your life. Even though each of us create and manage our work and personal lives differently, the following tips will help you find a healthy balance between them.
Learn to say “no”: Trying to do all things or please everyone is a quick way to burnout. Set your priorities, set boundaries, and find ways to reduce your to-do list. Once you stop trying to take on everything, you’ll immediately feel better. It can be hard to say no to spouses, friends, children, and coworkers, but finding healthy ways to manage boundaries and prioritize your personal time is one of the biggest steps to good mental health.
Intentionally unplug: Whether this means turning off email, putting your phone down, or completely disconnecting from technology is up to you. Reducing distractions, communication from work, and other stressors can improve the quality of your time and your mental state. Start simple: pick one evening per week where phones are left alone or turned off.
Maintain an exercise routine: Regular exercise is extremely beneficial to managing stress. Rigorous exercise or even a long walk releases endorphins and provides a mood boost. It also helps improve sleep, which is often disrupted by stress. Plus, exercise can be like meditation, helping you forget the day’s irritations and challenges. Regular exercise also gives you an opportunity to focus on yourself and accomplish something.
We’re here to help you manage stress
Striking a perfect work-life balance is impossible, but you can improve your well-being, state of mind, and stress. If you feel you need professional help to manage life stressors, challenges, or past trauma, we are here to help. Request an appointment from one of our team members at the link below.
