Achieving work-life balance can be really tough. More and more people are reporting that managing their personal and professional lives has become more difficult.
Longer working hours, more pressure to get things done quickly, more pressure to succeed and less personal time. Added together this combination of things creates more stress and plenty of daily struggles.
But working longer and harder doesn’t mean achieving more, especially if you have no time to spend with the people that matter most.
The quality of who you are as a person, the relationships you have, the time you spend in work, deciding on what matters most is completely within your control.
Here are 13 work-life balance tips you can implement right now to start living a more stress free life:
1. Take More Rejuvenation Days
When was the last time you took some time out from work to completely rejuvenate?
One of the best ways to create an environment for future high productivity and creativity is to take yourself outside of the day to day and remove yourself completely from work-related activities.
By taking time out for yourself, you will gain clarity on what’s most important, both now and in the future, and you will come back refreshed, energized and motivated. By taking more rejuvenation days, you are investing in yourself which naturally means you are creating more balance.
If you can take this day to yourself every month or two you will start seeing immediate results on all levels of your business and life.
Now get your calendar out and mark down your rejuvenation days!
2. Let Go of Fear
Many people, be they entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders or managers worry that if they’re not working, or seen to be working every day, they may miss out on something important. The business may fail or they may not get that promotion or something. There’s always something. There is a sense that something bad could happen if not enough time was invested or “I could always be working on something else”.
But, what if you believed you were good enough, you were achieving and doing something meaningful, and that you mattered?
Once you have that belief and confidence, you can let go of the fear that there is ‘always more’. You will feel more joyful, productive, abundant and know that what you accomplished was good enough.
This guide will help you get over your most irrational fears: How to Overcome Your Irrational Fears (That Stop You from Succeeding)
3. Prioritize Your Day
If you took a step back and looked at what’s on your to-do list, how many things are critical? How many things MUST be done that day?
It all starts with a clear understanding of what your bigger and better future looks like. Are you planning a year ahead? Three years? Ten years? What are you working to achieve?
Once you understand that, you can work back and create plans and goals that help you achieve your bigger objectives.
You may build 90 day outcome goals, the things you really want to achieve in the next quarter and then lay out the process for getting there. From this plan you will understand your priorities and where your focused time should be.
Don’t have 10 things on your list to complete that day. Focus on achieving just 3 or 5 important things every day. Achieve them and your motivation will go through the roof. Have too many and don’t complete them and your energy levels will drop.
Lifehack’s CEO Leon has his unique way on how to prioritize: How to Prioritize Right in 10 Minutes and Work 10X Faster