Struggling with balancing your leadership role with your personal life? Overwhelmed with projects and commitments and neglecting your mental health and family? Today’s fast-paced work-life balance encourages professionals to be available 24/7, but this can be an unrealistic expectation. Below are tips to help you strive toward an equilibrium between work and personal responsibilities.
Set Boundaries
If you have control over your schedule, set regular working hours. Perhaps you want to leave work at the office and aim to keep a strict 9-5 schedule. Or maybe you’re working from home and often blur the lines between work and personal time. Begin your quest for balance by limiting your work time to a manageable and realistic time period. Put your personal phone on silent so you won’t be disturbed by notifications. Determine specific “blackout” periods for your work, such as prohibiting yourself from opening work emails on the weekends, or setting specific “family time” hours that cannot be interrupted.
Stay Productive
Make the most of your time at work. If you dedicate yourself to your assigned tasks while you’re in the office during the day, you’ll be less likely to have work to do at home in the evening. Consider setting a timer and concentrate on getting as much done as possible, or work in small bursts to give yourself some slack. Don’t let yourself get distracted during your specific window of work time: it’s what you’re there to do! Additionally, if you pencil in time to relax and browse the internet during the evening, you’ll be less likely to slack off during the day when it’s time to be productive.
Take Control of Tech
If you just can’t keep your hands off your device, a great way to reduce time-wasting is with an app. There are a number of different smartphone options that will block popular time-wasters like Twitter or Candy Crush (or whatever your vice may be). Freedom and Flipd are terrific tools that will lock your phone or only allow the usage of productive apps. Experiment with concentration methods until you find the perfect solution for you.
Take Breaks
Know when it’s time to power down. Everyone needs to take a break at some point to avoid extreme tension or complete burnout. Leadership requires self-awareness: Be conscious when your mind and body are telling you to take it easy. Communicate with your team, and let them know certain times you’ll be unavailable so the can prepare accordingly. Also, think about the physical impacts of your job. If you spend all day staring at spreadsheets, consider a 30 minute outdoor walk to refresh yourself. On your feet for more than six hours? Find time to rest when you can.
Looking for more ways to be fulfilled in your work life? Check out our career advice to advance your professional development. Job Store Staffing®, a leading Colorado staffing agency, has tons of resources to help you be your best self when leading your team to greatness. For more information, check out our website today!