5 Ways to Be Better at Creating Work/Life Balance

If there’s one thing every employee in every organization has in common, it’s an ever-increasing need to achieve “work/life balance”. In fact, many studies of today’s workforce – especially those conducted on our youngest workers – show work-life balance as being among the very top priorities.

Society is constantly growing, innovating, and gaining speed. Technology has given us more freedom than ever and, while this makes for an exciting time to be alive, it’s not difficult to understand how this “freedom” could potentially leave us feeling more drained than energized at the end of the day.

But there’s one thing that isn’t changing, that will never change: time. Time is the most valuable non-renewable resource and, while we all have the same amount of it in a day, there are ways to maximize our time so that we feel fulfilled – both at work and at home.

As someone who is constantly in a battle against the clock, I’ve come to discover a few strategies that help me achieve a harmonious balance between work and life. Here are 5 of those strategies that you can begin using today:

Keep a Calendar: Not reinventing the wheel here. If you’re anything like me, it sometimes feels like you need to be two places at once. Part of balancing work and life is feeling like you have control in both. A calendar – whether it be in your phone, on a tablet, or recorded with pen and paper – keeps your life in order. It tells you where you need to be, when you need to be there, and reminds you of important items that will serve you well throughout the day. When you’re not racking your brain about where your next meeting is, or when your daughter’s hockey game is, you will find a sense of control, and you’ll have more energy to enjoy the present moment – whether that’s in your office, or at home with your family.

Schedule Events in the Future: I love this strategy for keeping life exciting, and it’s quite simple: if you’re always looking to make plans for “next weekend”, you will often find that your schedule won’t accommodate them. Most of us make time commitments to the things we don’t necessarily want to do – dentist appointments, license renewals, changing tires – well in advance. So, when the spirit moves you to go see Les Mis this weekend, you can’t make the date. Try buying tickets to the show two months out, or longer if the thought occurs. By building out our schedule well in advance for the things we want to do, we will show up each day at work with things to look forward to on the horizon, and our mindset in the office will be one of natural excitement.

Say No: This one can be tough for some people, but trust me – I’m not telling you to decline an invitation to have dinner with your parents. On the contrary! Many of us have a tendency to say yes to any opportunity that comes up, be it a trip to see a movie you don’t really want to see or a dinner with friends to a smokehouse when you’re a vegetarian. By (politely!) saying no to some of these opportunities, we free up time for that visit to your parents, or to catch up with that old friend you haven’t seen in a while. It’s not about always saying no. It’s about being selective with when you say yes! The distinction is important, and it’s a key to achieving a sense of control over your life.

Bookend Your Day with Hobbies: Many people struggle with finding work/life balance because they feel as though their time at work keeps them from working on their hobbies. This not only calls attention to the fact that you’re disengaged from your hobbies, but it can create resentment to your work, even when you really enjoy the work you do. I mentioned the advancements of technology before. We could all stand to shave some time off how often we use our devices. Imagine if you could give that time back to yourself. By taking some time in the morning when you wake up and some more in the evening before you go to bed to do the things that engage you, you ensure that your day begins and ends on a positive note. Of course, we won’t be able to achieve this every day, but you’d be surprised at how often you’re able to “bookend” your day in this way, and the impact it has on your fulfillment all day long.

Bring work and life together: This one is especially important to me. Work and life don’t need to be separate. In fact, I’m a firm believer in the benefits of team building outside of work. My team and I try to make time throughout the year to gather together and build the friendships that exist alongside our working relationships. Part of finding balance between work and life requires that the two are not in constant conflict with each other. My advice to you is to allow them to meet in the middle. Find some time to introduce your partner to your work colleagues. These are two worlds that benefit from colliding and, in my experience, each of them thrives when given this opportunity.