Finding a work-life balance

The stresses of today’s highly competitive workplace and 24/7, everything-all-the-time atmosphere can take quite a toll on today’s workforce, particularly the most ambitious among us. But more and more studies show that striking the right balance of commitment to work and private life can pay dividends both at home and on the job. Here are a few things you can do to get a leg up in life.

Unplug

People joke about being tethered to their phones and other devices. Email, social media, sharing, clicking, liking… whether it’s work-related or not, it distracts us from what’s important and sabotages our relationships, personal and professional. While it can be fin and cathartic to take advantage of the technology at our fingertips, sometimes we’d be better served putting the phone down, closing our laptop and engaging with the world around us. Whether that’s coffee with a friend or coworker, contemplating a cloud, rolling a strike or reading a book, mental down time can pay dividends down the line.

Exercise

The jury is in on this one. There’s no question that taking time to take care of our bodies has been proven to sharpen our minds. Even if you can’t make time to hit the gym, find a way to get out of your chair and get your blood flowing. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Count your steps. Find an excuse to walk around the block. Physical activity not only wakes you up but is proven to help your sleep patterns – making it doubly effective!

Spend Time with Family

It’s a cliché, but nobody on their deathbed ever lamented spending too much time with loved ones. It’s hard to forge strong relationships in the workplace when things aren’t stable at home. Conversely, a happy home life has been shown to sharpen focus and buttress ambition at work. So schedule a date night, join a book club, coach your daughter’s soccer team – do whatever you can to contribute to relationships outside of work – you’ll be glad you did.

Learn To Let Go

Work can be – even should be – challenging. Sometimes that means a project can end in disappointment. Leaving your professional problems at your desk can be hard, but can be essential to achieving work-life balance. While you should be able to share what’s going on at work with your family and friends, be sure not to let negative feelings dominate your rapport. It isn’t easy, but setting corporate concerns to the side for a few hours can make for a much more enjoyable evening.

Start Small

News flash: New Year’s resolutions don’t last long because we try to do too much too fast. Habits are hard to break and that’s what you’re trying to do – establish new and healthy patterns that will pay dividends not just tomorrow but in the months and years ahead. Don’t turn your world upside down and hope to find serenity! Pick a few small goals and then set new ones. Make a list and when you’ve crossed everything off, start a new one. As with all projects it helps to have measurable milestones. So whether it’s time with the kids, pages in a book or miles on the track, set your sights on an achievable goals and, when you reach them, don’t forget to celebrate!