In the busy everyday life, people spend much of their time working. The addition of more and more responsibilities combined with taking care of loved ones and taking care of oneself makes people look for workable strategies for a better work-life balance.
Without judging themselves and others
No one manages to achieve balance every single day. There are times when one aspect of life demands to be prioritized, and later another.
A person can achieve everything they desire, but not at the same time. Placing focus on one means postponing another, as the order of priorities depends on one’s desires.
The choices people make must be respected. From a distance, the situation always looks different than the reality and one does not know what others have to deal with, so it is better not to judge their choices.
Delegation
Prioritization is only one half of the equation. The other is the ability to delegate. Training and delegating tasks on the job frees up time and attention to focus on priorities. The use of timeboxing allows time for a person to really focus on a task.
Setting boundaries
Setting boundaries helps people to achieve their goals without feeling guilty about putting their own needs before meeting the needs of others. One way to deal with the tendency to people-please is to realize that actually disagreeing or sharing one’s true opinion will not lead to the great disappointment one fears, as long as it is presented in a respectful manner. It is also important to keep in mind that having a person give something up and opt for other options that better meet their needs can also be an effective way to use the power of “no.” An example of this is the “no work on Sunday” or “no emails before breakfast” rule. These rules should then also be followed rather than remaining wishful thinking. Therefore, communicating them to others helps make them a reality.
Self-care
Self-care should not be neglected. The “always on” culture and other features of toxic workplaces make people forget about their basic needs of adequate sleep, nutritious food and sport. One needs different types of rest to be an effective person at work. Physical rest such as quality sleep is the most obvious, but mental, emotional, sensory, social, spiritual and creative rest also play an important role. Rest is not only soothing and restorative, but also energizing and strengthening.
Meeting friends or colleagues with whom one shares values have the ability to recharge one with new energy. Long neglect of self-care and lack of boundaries can lead to burnout.
