Modern capitalist society wants to make you work all your time until you become overworked and are replaced by others. You work eight hours at the office and then go home, where you often finish your work. As a result, you hardly have time for your own needs, hobbies, and your family. However, you don’t have to live like this. It’s possible to find a work-life balance where you can truly separate your personal life from your work without burning out. Remember, treating work as the main component of your life might be damaging. So, how to find a work-life balance?
Differentiate between work and home by examining your limits
First, you should draw clear boundaries on how much work you can physically do. If you are paid by the hour, explain to your boss what your productivity limits are. You shouldn’t take your work home and do it all night. Good management will listen to their employees because their comfort is the key to a good work environment.
Many people suffer from a slightly different problem. They don't need some strict boss to take on a lot of work. They do it of their own free will. However, working constantly, with no breaks for sleep and rest will only lead you to frustration and burnout. Plus, when you work from home, your own personal life begins to erode because you don't see where work ends and free time begins. Rationally assess your strengths and opportunities, no matter whether you work from home or in the office.
Work in a way that is not detrimental to your health
Many young workers think their power is limitless. They can drink tons of coffee and energy drinks, working all night long, skipping lunches and breaks for the sake of getting experience and money. Well, ambition is indeed a good thing. However, in reality, such ambitions are rarely rewarded because burnout and illnesses come to workers much sooner than good results.
Achieving work-life balance is also about the skill to recognize your needs in time and meet them. Believe it or not, a raise is good, but an eight-hour sleep at night is better. You also won't last long on snacks and coffee — lunch breaks during the workday were invented for a reason. You have to eat a full meal during this time, with all the nutrients intact. Otherwise, your personal productivity will drop very soon. To prevent this from happening, stick to the advice selected in our summary of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.
Don’t chase fame and riches; think about what really matters
We think that if we are successful, we will be happy. However, this is not true. Rich people just as often suffer from depression as poor people. After achieving incredible success at work, many people look back and see only a divorce with their partner, children who have hardly seen their parents, and a wasted life. Think about what success really means to you. Perhaps it includes the happiness of your children and your partner, the pride of your parents? And while this will all be much easier to achieve if you earn a good income, don't think that money can buy time with your loved ones. Ambition is good, but you should not jump over your head just out of greed because in the pursuit of "success," you may lose the main thing.
Commit to finding time for your family
You spend eight hours a day at work and about an hour commuting. Your life consists of this endless flow of sleep-road-work-road-sleep. It's good if you make time for hobbies or sports. However, you also have to remember to spend time with your family. It may sound a bit corny, but practice shows that desperate fans of their work often neglect their partners and children. But most likely, your family is your first priority, meaning you should treat them the same way.
Many people work to provide for their families, but because they are constantly working, they lose contact and become strangers. Don't let this happen. Start spending more quality time with your loved ones. You can try to fully dedicate one of your weekends to your family regularly. To learn about planning your week effectively, check out the summary of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.
Treat your free time wisely by using lists and schedules
If you really start thinking about your health and finally set your priorities, you'll realize how much easier it is to work. Of course, initially, you'll probably experience new life challenges. But in the end, you'll get through it and become more fulfilled. You might even have too much free time, and you won't know what to do with it (and might try to fill it with more work). So, you'll need a schedule. Put in it all the household chores you have to do, ranking them according to difficulty. You can do one of these tasks when you’re free, depending on how much time you have. You'll also have more time for hobbies — so make sure you schedule that class you want to visit!
Keeping a work-life balance is crucial for avid workaholics and people who may have encountered burnout. First, you should take your boundaries and communicate them to your boss. You will have much better results if you take on less work but do it well. It would help to remember that no job should be prioritized over your health. Get at least eight hours of sleep a day and eat right. Prioritize your work, and think about where you get your inspiration from and who you do it all for. If it's your family, learn to make enough time for them. But don't stop there: start organizing your free time so that you have time to do both enjoyable and useful things.
