10 Ways to achieve a Work / Life Balance

If you’re tired and overloaded these top 10 tips will give you advice on how to get the balance back in your life.

Create a balance

There are no rules. Balance is an individual thing and everyone has to find his or her own equilibrium. It’s up to you to prioritise, make adjustments and pay attention to your own needs and wellbeing. If you feel over worked then re-evaluate and make changes in your life.

Adrenaline junkie

Adrenaline will keep you going, but it also keeps you in a state of readiness for danger, fight or flight. It’s exciting and it’s productive and it feels like energy, but it isn’t. You can only run on it for a short time without experiencing its downside. Too much adrenaline for too long makes you stressed and sooner or later you’ll find yourself running on empty, unable to relax, or sleep it’s time to stop chasing those deadlines at work and doing those long days.

Don’t be a martyr

‘I’ve got so much to do’. ‘I’ve got to do everything round here’. Do these sentences ring a bell? Do you feel put upon and resentful while at the same time hogging all the work? `Learn to delegate and stop trying to do everyone else’s work for them.

Help

Asking for help is so often the best way out of stressful situations and dilemmas. Sometimes all it needs is for you to stop hugging the problem to yourself and get it out in the open and share with colleagues who may be able to assist. Don’t let your pride stop you from getting help as you will probably find most people like to help others in the work place as it makes for a better working environment.

Perfection

Stop striving for perfection in every task you do. When something needs to be done, ask yourself the question: is it important that the job is simply done, or that it’s done perfectly in my way? 9 times out of 10, the answer is that it needs to be done rather than done perfectly. Just because something isn’t done exactly how you would do it, doesn’t mean it isn’t right, let your colleagues do the work and stop putting pressure on yourself with unrealistic expectations.

Say NO

This is not about saying no all the time or saying no to work within your job description! This is about the extra responsibilities you’re asked to take on. If you are someone who tends to say ‘yes’ and thereby takes on too much and gets overloaded this is going to cause your work balance to tip in the wrong direction. Be realistic about what you can achieve n the time your have and don’t be afraid to say no.

Prioritise

Make a list of your daily prioritise and use this to help you managed your tasks at work. Be aware of deadlines and plan your work accordingly so you know you have time allocated to each particular task.

Down time

Stop trying to fill your work and home life schedule with things to do. Try and keep 1 weekend in every month free from any commitments, plans, work, activities etc. Spend it with your partner, your family or just chilling at home by yourself. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you do nothing, but rather that you don’t structure the time in advance and fill it with plans and ‘to do’ lists.

Think of you

This must be something you enjoy and look forward to. It doesn’t apply to things you think will be good for you or things that your children or partner would enjoy. This is for you. Whatever it is – having a meal with someone, read a novel in the bath or enjoy a glass of wine with your girlfriends. Turn off your mobile, don’t check your emails, screen incoming calls and only ring back if it’s an emergency. Stick to it and don’t put it off.

Draw a line between home and work

If you’re rushed and overloaded, what can happen – and it’s very common – is that while you’re at work, you worry about things at home and when you’re at home, you’re preoccupied with work. Crazy, isn’t it?

Download the things on your mind before you leave work (or home). Write a note in your diary, on your PC, on your Blackberry or on a piece of paper and list the things you need to do when you come back. Keep your mind focused on the fact that this is the end of that activity, workday or tasks at home. Shut the diary; turn off your PC, save your message and LEAVE IT!