5 Tips to Manage Work & Life

Today, the line between work and life is blurry for many, creating stress and frustration within our lives. We need to better define this line because work is not everything and we need time to enjoy life away from work. Here are 5 tips to balance work and life.

Balancing work and life is just like walking on a tightrope but really...it doesn't have to be. Being bold and clearly defining each can help create a solid line between work life and well...life.

Why do we need to define the two? Your health is one reason but there are other reasons to separate them. By focusing on work while actually at work, you can better focus and complete tasks and jobs, helping your work performance improve. Then, focusing on life while away from the job, you can better focus on your family and other activities that you enjoy. Work is important yes, but it shouldn't be your entire life. There are so many things that make life beautiful, and work should just be a tiny piece.

How can you better define the line between work and life and how can you balance them out?

1 - Create clear boundaries

Create clear boundaries. What is work related and what is home-life? Clearly define the two and separate them. When at home, focus on you, your family, hobbies, etc. When at work focus on work. Do not cross the line. Do not bring work related topics home with you and try not to bring home related topics to work. Keep them separated and have boundaries with each.

2 - Learn to Say No

Be bold and strong. Say no when you feel the urge to stress about or work at home or during time with family. Say no when you are on vacation and your boss tells you to work. Say no when you are trying to sleep and you feel like you should work on a project for work. Clearly saying "no, this is my time" will be hard at first, but over time you will see a difference in both your health and relationships.

3 - Create a Schedule

Once a week, sit down and plan out the week. Clearly mark your working hours and set aside one day a week/month to spend with family, another day to spend with friends, and one day to spend with yourself. By setting aside these days, you can rest and spend the day with people you care about and recharge.

4 - Learn Ways to Manage Stress

Life is stressful but learning to manage your stress can make a big difference. There are many ways you can learn this either through blog posts like this, videos, books, classes, etc. But also, stress management can look different for each person. Managing stress for one person may look like a quick break to listen to a favorite song, or to another person it may look like mediations or yoga. Find what works for you and work on it a few times a week to get into the habit of helping your body relax for a moment.

5 - Ask for Help

Sometimes, we are so caught up in the life of an unhealthy balance that we struggle to change and create harmony. It is okay to ask for help, whether that be a friend to talk to or someone professional. There is no shame in asking for help. Creating balance can be hard at first and sometimes we just need an extra hand or support to help us keep going.

To summarize, ways we can balance work and life and create harmony within our lives, we can create clear boundaries, learn to say "no", create a weekly/monthly schedule, learn stress management techniques, and ask for help.

How Do You Know You Need a Change?

Some signs that indicate that your work/life balance is out of whack include:

• Burnout - you feel burned out with little motivation to do things after work.

• Struggling relationships - your relationships with friends and family are struggling. You hardly spend time with each other and frustration often arises when together.

• Poor Self-Care - you feel so tired with little motivation that your self-care is lacking which often leads to decreasing health.

• No Definition - you struggle to define work and life. It's hard to tell which is which because work may be taking over.

Don't be afraid to change. Ask for time off, create plans with family and friends, embrace life, set work aside for a moment, take a day for yourself. It's important to live your life so don't be afraid to stand up for what you want and create a healthy balanced life.

Thanks for reading! Subscribe to Lotus's newsletters for notifications on new posts, blog updates, and exclusive tips!