By Anna Runyan, Classy Career Girl
Work life balance is something that I have always struggled to achieve. There are many things that I want to achieve in my professional career but I also have to make time for my family, my social life, and most importantly, time for myself to relax and recharge. According to CareerBuilder, 3 out of 4 workers suffer from stress on the job, which can lead to burnout. Stress can motivate us and makes us tougher but most of the time it makes us irrational. Balancing our personal lives with our professional lives can be very challenging. Here are a five ways to successfully balance your work and personal life:
- Make time for your health. Set a schedule for working out and make a commitment to yourself. You can either workout first thing in the morning, utilize your lunch break or exercise after work. Whatever you decide to do, make it habit and block out the time in your calendar. Research has shown that it takes 21 days to form a habit so as you do something on a continuous basis, you will actually see it getting much easier to do.
- Prioritize your relationships. The best way to balance work and relationships is to plan ahead and set your priorities. Set up date nights ahead of time and make sure you always communicate with your significant other about your schedule. Learn to say no to work commitments when you have other personal obligations and make sure you set your boundaries. You can’t be everywhere at once so don’t overbook yourself.
- Make time for what makes your happy. Plan a vacation and put it on your calendar a few months in advance. If you have leave, use it for what you enjoy doing and your bucket list of things you want to do and see in the world. Trust that your co-workers will be able to complete your tasks when you leave and give them a chance to shine and do a great job. Also, make sure you turn off your work email on vacation and enjoy yourself.
- Remember your values. Many employees today are finding that there’s more to life and business than profits alone. Money as the single bottom line is increasingly a thing of the past. Instead, employees are finding their personal values such as honesty, integrity and work quality to serve the community or help create a better world. Maybe you want to treat your co-workers in a caring way or participate in prayer or meditation. Whatever values you have or important spiritual development practices, make sure you fit it into your busy schedule.
- Don’t hide your ambitions. Fulfilling careers seldom happen by chance. People who find meaningful work do so because they take responsibility of their career. Ask yourself if you work to live or live to work. Evaluate your priorities and your definition of success. Is it money, status, promotion or making a difference in someone else’s life? Discover your major source of meaning and personal satisfaction so that you can get what you want out of your work.
Want more support to create work/life balance? Check out the featured course this month, Me Inc.
About the Author:
Classy Career Girl, a blog written by Anna Runyan, provides advice to young professionals on how to be classy as they climb the corporate ladder. Her blog covers topics such as business fashion, career motivation, personal development, networking and office etiquette. Connect with her at http://www.classycareergirl.com
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