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The average worker today is taking on a lot more responsibility and stress than ever before. The amount that all people are connected is only making this worse as people can feel like they never get away. To ensure that you are able to have a happy life and manage your stress, it is very important that you have a good work-life balance. While it can seem hard to accomplish this, there are five tips that you can follow that can help you to build and maintain a good work-life balance.
Be Honest About Expectations
The best thing that you can do to make sure that you are able to enjoy a good work-life balance is to be honest about your expectations when applying for and accepting a job. While there are some jobs where it can be hard to reduce your hours, you should make sure that you fully understand the expectations and tell your employer that you intend to maintain a strong work-life balance. Having this discussed upfront will ensure there is a smooth transition.
Set Consistent Boundaries
One of the reasons why people struggle to establish a good work-life balance today is because they do not have any boundaries when they are away from work. Due to unlimited access to email, all people can be reached at all times. While you may have to answer emails occasionally, you should make your co-workers and clients aware of when you are going to be away. You should also get into the habit of reducing your responses frequency on weekends, at night, and when on vacation.
Do What You Enjoy
While it can be hard to get away from a stressful job and enjoy the activities that you love, you need to stay current with your hobbies and interests. This includes making sure that you stay involved with activities that you have fun doing and are passionate about. Some examples of this can include going for a walk in the woods, going to local music concerts, or even spending time reading a good book. All of these will help you to enjoy and appreciate your time when you are away from work.
Know Your Peaks
While ideally you will have a consistent schedule that will always allow you to enjoy your time away, almost all jobs and roles have times when things are busier. It is important to fully understand your job and know when the busy times are. Then, you should do your best to manage your vacations and time away during times when you are slower. This will result in a quieter and more peaceful vacation that you can enjoy.
Work Hard When in the Office
While a lot of building a good work-life balance involves limiting the time that you are in the office and working, another part of it is making sure that you are efficient with your time. Most of the time, an employer is not too concerned with how many hours someone works. Instead, as long as you are getting your work done well and chipping in as much as you can, working less hours should be fine. You should focus on being efficient while at work to ensure you are not cutting into your personal time later.
Having work-life balance is extremely important as it ensures someone can have a happy personal life with less stress. While it can be hard to build this, it is possible for most people to have a good amount of time away from the office. These five tips can help anyone to build a good work-life balance.
