The fact that you spend most of your time at work, means that you’re left little time left to relax – after conquering the traffic – when you get home after a long and hard day at the office. And if you’re struggling more than ever to juggle the demands of your job and your home life, unsurprisingly, you’re not alone.
With so many companies making cutbacks there are more and more people putting in extra hours when they get home because they are scared it might happen to them – meaning they are constantly on call, even at home, with calls and emails taking over what’s meant to be ‘down time’.
But, even with no control over the hours you have to work, there are other ways you can take control in order to enjoy your life. So, in a bid to find the perfect work life balance we look at three ways you can find the right balance for you:
1. Use less technology
There is a high chance that you use technology at work – including computers, telephones and even tablets — most of your day from Monday to Friday, which is unavoidable. But when you get home it is important to find the time to unplug.
Most people when they get home, reach for their tablet, computer, phone or television remote. But there are times you just need to shut off all technology and enjoy the moment. Mobile phone, email and any other notifications can interrupt your off-time dramatically and induce stress. In order to unplug you need to stop using technology while having dinner and enjoy your son’s soccer game without sending work emails.
2. Take care of yourself
Our calendars are full, we are too tired to take part in anything on the weekends most of the time, and we definitely don’t have time to exercise – meaning we are missing out on one of the crucial things in life because of lack of time.
Yet it’s one of the best ways to destress and give your body the extra boost it needs by pumping it full of feel-good endorphins and lifting our mood. Making time during a couple of days a week to exercise is important and once you get into your new routine you will feel a significant difference in how you feel.
3. Restructure
Nothing is set in stone, and you can get out of that rut. Changes can be made to your life that could make it a lot easier and less stressful for you and your family. Structural changes in your routine are more than likely to reduce stress in your day to day life and job, and give you more satisfaction when it comes to do both new and old tasks at different times of the day.
And by focusing on activities that you specialise in and value most, while delegating or outsourcing everything else, can be a win-win situation. You could be giving others a chance to grow while freeing yourself up to really hone in on areas you love, are of higher priority and would like to devote more attention to – as well as reducing your work load.
