Yes, You Can Achieve Work Life Balance – With These 6 Steps
Do you struggle with balancing your home life with work? Do you feel as though your life is on a never-ending treadmill? Do you rush off to work, have a frantically busy day, and then come home to find a million-and-one things still to do?
You are not alone.
It can be difficut to achieve the perfect work-life balance.
If you work for someone else, you need to make sure your boss is happy. If you work for yourself, you need to put in long hours to grow and nurture your business.
But you also need to spend time with your loved ones and with friends, set up and run a home and enjoy some “me” time.
So, how can you fit all of that in?
There are 6 things you need to do for work-life balance. Each of them will help to avoid being overwhelmed by everything you need to get done.
Work Life Balance Step #1: Create a Routine
When you arrive at your work, the first and most important thing is that you need to know what you must achieve that day. Make a task list or to-do list, or a list of outcomes and/or priorities. Do NOT leave this until the morning! You need to do this just before you leave work in the evening, so that it’s ready and waiting for you when you arrive the next day.
Somehow the act of working out your tasks for the next day, seems to get it settled in your brain overnight, so you’re ready to get straight into it when you arrive the next morning.
Prioritizing your work allows you to get the most important things done, and using a checklist lets you see what you have achieved during the day. This will help to reduce your work stress.
Routines are great for home as well. They let everyone know what’s going on and when.
But don’t make the classic mistake of noting only tasks to be done. You need downtime too, to make sure you are all able to relax and bond together. Add it in to your calendar too if you wish.
I’ve also found it’s a huge help to plan your menu for the week ahead. Once you know what you’re going to eat all week, the shopping list is easy. Try to do one big shop once a week. There may still be small things you’ll need to buy fresh, but they just need a quick visit, not a big shopping event. That saves time and hassle, and you’re home sooner. Having a menu also means you can get started right away into preparing the food for that night’s dish, without having to think “what shall we eat tonight?”. That’s another time saver.
If there are household chores to be done, consider a roster, so that everyone can help. Housework shouldn’t only be Mom’s work!
Work Life Balance Step #2: Simplify
We think that if we can buy a car / get a bigger TV / renovate the kitchen (or whatever we want to purchase) we will be happier.
We will – but only for a very short time. Then someone else will always have a newer or better or bigger or smaller or fancier model.
And in the meantime, your mortgage increases or your credit card takes a knock – and that adds to your stress levels.
You seem to be working just to pay the bills. And make the interest payments (which are exorbitant). And there’s more to clean, and more to insure – and more to break down…..
It’s a ghastly treadmill, and it’s bad for everyone who is on it.
It’s also lousy for the planet and the environment.
When you simplify your life, and learn to enjoy and appreciate what you DO have, your whole life changes. A lot of stress just simply disappears.
What will your kids remember of their childhood? Will they remember the fancy toys you bought them? Or will they remember that you were rarely around, because you were always working, to pay those bills. Kids will remember stories and time spent together, they’ll remember laughter and simple fun.
A lot of couples look back on their lives together and remember happier times – and often, those happier times were when life was simpler. There’s a lesson there.
Work Life Balance Step #3: Learn to Say No
Do you find it difficult to say no when you are given a new task or new responsibilities at work?
If you evaluate the new task carefully, and weigh it up against your current responsibilities, and know that you won’t be able to get it done on time – or perhaps you are not the right person for the task – then you need to say no. Calmly explain why you are saying no, and your employer may receive your refusal gracefully.
It is important to learn how to say no to social events and home life events that will be too taxing as well. Maybe you have social obligations that are just too draining, or don’t allow you enough time with your family in the evenings. Cutting these out will help you find balance.
Work Life Balance Step #4: Learn Your Employer’s Policies
It’s really important that you know your employer’s policies are on leave, vacation, sick leave and disability, as well as telecommuting.
Why? There will probably be a time when you need to take leave due to some unforeseen circumstances. Or you might be able to telecommute instead. Knowing your options in advance will greatly alleviate your stress levels as you re-organize things.
If you have children, learn their school’s policies too. Knowing the procedure for handing in sick notes, calling out for the day, or arriving late is going to save a lot of headache for both you and them!
Work Life Balance Step #5: TeleCommute
There will be days when you are ill, or your children or sick. Perhaps your commute will be extra-long due to weather or outside circumstances.
Telecommuting is a great way to provide your employer with what they need while giving you some breathing room.
Make sure you are clear with your boss about what you can deliver from home – and be very, very sure that you do deliver exactly that. This will help to build trust with your employer.
Work Life Balance Step #6: Communicate
At work, let your employer know what’s going on.
- Tell them where you are on individual projects
- Tell them if you’re on time, or ahead of deadline, or behind schedule.
Communicating these vital elements to your employer will alleviate stress on the job.
At home, communication is also essential – even more so if you’re in a relationship, and especially if you have kids at home. Make sure you are letting everyone know what is going on with you. In addition, you need to know what is going on with everyone else.
Set a family meeting once a week to discuss upcoming events, stress points, things that may need planning and other elements of life that could cause stress if not well planned. This simple act will really help you find that precious work life balance.
Summary
A routine is very important to help alleviate stress and get more organized – you’ll get more done in the same time. Simplify your life – don’t just work to pay the bills, enjoy what you already have. Learn to say no occasionally when it’s just too much, and learn your employer’s and school’s policies so you know exactly how to handle problems that may arise. Telecommuting is a great way of getting work done in difficult circumstances, and be sure to communicate regularly both at home and at work.
These 6 steps will all help to reduce your stress levels, enable you to get more done, and ensure you plan for enough downtime to keep you sane! This is how you achieve a successful work life balance.
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How have you improved your work life balance? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to download “Live Well, Live Green” for FREE here!
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