Whether you’re trying to climb the corporate ladder or need all hands on deck running your small business, you can find yourself trapped in work. While having a job is a necessity for having financial security, life is not all about money.
To enjoy all of life’s amazing wonders, you need to learn how to create a better work/life balance. Aside from having more time to enjoy your personal endeavors, investing in your well-being will increase your overall health and productivity!
To begin forming a better future, read below for tips and tricks to destress and “do you.”
While You’re At Work
From meetings to dealing with customers, your workload may seem never-ending. Having so much to do and so little time leaves most Americans feeling extremely stressed. High stress levels have proven to lead to increased heart-attacks, lowered immune systems, depression, and anxiety— all factors that actually decrease productivity. Why put yourself in a situation that counteracts what you’re trying to accomplish? When you’re at work, try these following tips to improve your mental health and make you enjoy going to work every day.
- Budget Your Time- With so much going on at work, you can become overwhelmed. Learning how to budget your time will organize your life and ensure you get everything done on time. Online project management systems such as Asana,Trello and Milanote to help you streamline your tasks into a consolidated list. You can even incorporate apps such as Everhour to track how much time each project takes to better understand your efficiency!
- Take a Break- Don’t beat a dead horse and waste time on a project that seems to be going nowhere. Sometimes you just need to take five. Get up from your desk. Stretch your legs. Bring your pair of men’s running shoes and take a walk around the block during lunchtime. Stepping back from a difficult task will help ease your mind and get your creative juices flowing when you find yourself stuck in a rut.
- Get in the Zone- Listening to music at work will block out any distractions and help you focus on important tasks. Not only does music lower your blood pressure, but you will also find yourself becoming more productive and less stressed as well. Grab your earbuds, turn on your favorite playlist, and off you go!
Once You Get Home
Leave your laptop and papers on your desk. You’re not getting paid extra bringing work home and laboring after hours. While some days you may need to finish a project by a deadline, this shouldn’t become a habit. Here are our tips on separating your work and life balance.
- Exercise – Hit the gym before or after work to boost your endorphins while getting swole. Release built up stress and anger through powerlifting and intense CrossFit regimens. Or, lace up, run, and zone out as you traverse down wooded trails or a beach boardwalk.
- Take a Vacation – Jump into tropical water with your scuba gear or hop from hostel to hostel throughout Europe to give your mind and body a break. There’s a reason companies give you paid time off, so you better use it! Going on vacation is a great way to recharge and head back to work with mental clarity and focus to get the job done.
- Unplug – Go wireless after work and don’t respond to emails or texts from your coworkers or boss. Setting boundaries are important to creating a healthy work/life balance. When you get home, explore the great outdoors for a breath of fresh air. Or book an Airbnb in the woods on the weekend to go fishing or hiking.
- Sleep – This one’s easy— get some shut-eye! Work is extremely demanding and bringing it home can leave you up late at night. Working on creating a better sleep pattern will allow your body to recharge and repair itself, leaving you energetic and productive the next day. If you have trouble sleeping, invest in a new pillow or utilize mobile apps that combat insomnia.
In Conclusion
Give your body the love it deserves by investing in your overall personal health. If you want to be more productive at work, separating your work/life balance will definitely help. From exercising to unplugging and going on vacation, your mind and body (and family!) will say, “thank you!”