Balance it better! 

Importance of an effective work-life balance

“Don’t confuse having a career with having a life” – Hillary Clinton (Former First Lady, US)

Spoiler Alert: There is no such thing as work-life balance! The balance has to be within us and that is what we miss on most days. Often, work takes precedence over everything else in our lives. Our desires to succeed professionally take us so far that we forget to have a personal life. Some of the common reasons that may lead to a poor work-life balance include increased responsibility at work, working longer hours, increased responsibility at home or having children. Be it personal or professional, a balance is important.

While striking this perfect work-life balance is difficult, it is not impossible. When making a schedule that works for you, think about the best ways that you can achieve the balance. The trick is to divide the hours in the day evenly between your work and personal life. There will still be days when you will have to work longer hours but you can ensure that later in the week you can enjoy other activities.

Here are ways you can strike a perfect work-life balance:

Give Away ‘Perfectionism’

There is nothing called a perfect work-life balance. Accepting the situation and working towards finding a solution is the key. A perfect schedule is a myth. Instead, strive for a realistic one. Some days you might focus on work while there will be other days when you will have more time and energy to pursue your hobbies or spend time with your loved ones. Letting go of perfectionism can also avoid burning out and help us focus more on achieving excellence.

Find a Job That You Love

If you hate what you do, no matter what, you are not going to be happy. Your job needs to be exciting enough to make you get out of bed every morning and start your day with the hope to create something new and add values to the lives of people associated with you.

Set Goals and Priorities 

Set achievable goals. Think about what tasks are more important for achieving a healthy work life balance and prioritize them. Remember once the bigger and the more complicated tasks are off your checklist, it gives you enough headspace and mental relaxation to deal with the smaller ones. With more number of apps downloaded and increasing notifications, it becomes difficult at times to concentrate on the job in hand without getting distracted. Try turning off the notifications/alerts from your phones and computers especially when handling tasks that need complete attention. Structuring the day and prioritizing our task list can sort out a lot of worries and make us more productive.

Don’t Be Afraid To Unplug 

While technology has helped our lives in a great way, it has also created an expectation of constant availability. The workday never seems to end. There are times when you should just switch your phone off and enjoy the moment. Cutting ties with the outside world from time to time allows us to recover from weekly stresses and gives us the headspace for thoughts and ideas to emerge.

Reading Helps! 

No matter how intense the situation is outside, sitting back at home and reading something positive always helps. Reading is not just a pleasurable pastime. Many studies have shown that reading is beneficial for your mental health. It improves brain function and reduces the stress level, making it a perfect way to relax without the need to go out of your house to do anything.

Early Morning Yoga Sessions: 

Let’s make early mornings a bit more productive. An early morning yoga session at our home, helps us in releasing work stress. Yoga leads us to a path of self-discovery and enhances our concentration and confidence while we practice the process. In case you decide to stay back at home instead of going out for that hour long run, yoga can be the best way to rejuvenate.

Challenge Yourself 

Get out of your comfort zone and start challenging yourself. How about learning how to play a new instrument? Maybe looking up a new recipe? Learning something new is always more fun, gives you the sense of accomplishment and pride. Moreover, it gives you a new purpose for living.  Remember – you are never too old to start afresh!

Enjoy A Movie Marathon: 

At times, it’s nice to sit back at your favourite spot in the couch and just stay at home for binge watching. How about watching a selection of your favourite movies or catching up on some of the new releases? Not only does movies reflect society but also help us rethink; give us the momentary escape from the reality and elevates our mood.

 Phone (Or Skype) A Friend

It is often hard to find out some time from our busy schedules to catch up with your friends and loved ones. Why not do that during weekends? Skype dates are a great idea to go for. It takes away the effort to go and meet someone, yet gives you the chance to connect and have the most fun time possible.

Prioritize Your Health

Your overall physical, mental or emotional health should be your main concern. If you struggle with anxiety or depression, you may consider visiting a therapist and taking an hour out of your day, no matter how stressful it looks. Prioritizing your health can also be as simple as daily meditation or exercise. It can be as simple as taking some time off from your everyday working hours so that your brain gets the much needed break and be able to function effectively. Remember, productivity and creativity increases when you switch off for some time and not let anything else distract you.

This world health day, let’s strive for good health for all by being there for the other, be it our colleagues, distant friends or close loved ones. Let’s strive to support each other in this journey to strike a perfect work life balance in our lives.

Perspective is the single most important thing. A stressful situation can pull you down and bring self-doubts, or it may give you the opportunity to think, analyze and come up with new ideas to overcome the situation and build a new foundation. This is exactly how many startups around the world get started. At .CO, we help you take ideas to the world and give you the foundation to start something that can be the next big thing.

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