Most of us walk through life with firm feet in two different worlds. On the one hand we have personal life: family, friends, pets, personal interests and hobbies. On the other hand is professional life. Keeping your balance between them can be as difficult as a gymnast walking on a balance beam, but it is vital for both your health and your professional future. If you're having a hard time keeping up, try some tips to balance yourself.
Set expectations early
With a new job there is a strong impulseexaggerated performance. You want to make a good impression and show your potential and motivation. But if you over-deliver and are always "on" from the start, you can create the expectation that it will always be that way. Be a "superstar" who always answersAfter Hours Emailsand being willing to burn the midnight oil can make it hard for you to set healthy boundaries later. Even the best-intentioned employer may be surprised when you're suddenly unavailable after work if you've spent the first year or two consistently trying to be responsive. They might even suspect you."quiet stop".
Setting work-life boundaries early on at work is good for you and your manager. If you work for a place that doesn't respect these limits, it's best to find out as soon as possible.
When you're gone, you're gone
It's hard to make a firm rule of thumb, as some jobs are "on call" and emergencies can arise that require you to do something after work, but it's a good rule of thumb to keep your job at work. When you're away, you're away: no commercial emails,no phone calls, there are no projects outside business hours. The last point is especially important: if you can't do your job while you're working, your boss needs to know so he can improve project management. If you have so much work that you have to do "homework", that's a problem.
A simple and polite way to enforce this limit is to set aThe respondent is not in the officein your work email when you're not on duty. That way, your coworkers will know that you can't reply to their messages and they'll know when you'll be back in the office so they won't wonder why you're not replying. If someone calls from work with an "emergency," politely and calmly assess whether the situation you are asking about is, in fact, an emergency. If it's something that can wait until tomorrow, tell them you'll work on it first thing in the morning when you get back to the office. It can be hard, even scary, to know when your boss is asking you for something, but it's important to stick to those boundaries. You give it once, twice, and before long your work-life balance is completely off-kilter.
That said, if it's a legitimate emergency like a technical outage, it makes sense to be flexible and responsive to the problem at hand.
be transparent
If you get a lot of communication after work,talk to your manager. Be respectful and explain how important it is for you to lead a healthy life at home. One thing to keep in mind is that bosses and/or co-workers sometimes send emails outside of business hours because that's how their minds work. They like to spit and throw ideas at all times. They may not expect you to respond to these messages. That's why it's so important to talk to your employer and understand where they're coming from. If they send you an email at 11:00 p.m. m., maybe they're just brainstorming or telling you something important before they forget it; They may NOT want you to respond after hours.
Employers who want to help their employees maintain a good work-life balance should remember that there are tools available to help you do this.
"If you send an email after work and you don't want your subordinates to feel the need to respond, remember to send the email by the next morning," he said.gina award, Professor of Economics, Management and Public Administration at Colegio Río Salado.
Working from home is counterproductive
If you're thinking that working after hours will help you be more productive, you're wrong.studiesdiscovers that too much work is actually counterproductive. The stress caused by being overworked can lead to poor health, depression andexhaustion. Your mind and body need time to recover and rest. Taking time to reconnect with friends and family, relax, and/or pursue a hobby keeps you mentally sharp. Any job that takes up all of your time not only hurts you, but also hurts you and makes you a more distracted, stressed and uncomfortable worker.
prioritize your health
You cannot work effectively if you neglect yours.Physical and mental health. Be sure to embedstretch breaksthroughout your workday. Take a brisk walk if you have time. Make sure you have time in your free time to participate in healthy activities and do things that relieve your stress. Even when the going gets tough, don't skip or neglect your breaks. Even if you're not hungry, take the time to step away from your desk, take a deep breath, and get your cardio pumping.romperhelp us reorient ourselves. Even if you feel the need to focus on tasks on busy days, it's important to step back a bit so you don't lose track.
"If you need to talk to a coworker on the phone, maybe you can 'walk and talk' to take a break from being at a desk all day," Pinch said.
take vacation
Don't be afraid to use your own.Vacation! If your job offers personal time and/or vacation, take advantage of it, especially if your job doesn't "void" your paid time and reset it at the end of the year. You may feel guilty about taking time off when you're busy, but it's important to use it to recharge your batteries, reset your mind, and be ready to work at your best. It is important that you communicate your vacation plans as soon as possible so that your work has time to make up for your absence.
works both ways
Just as it's important not to let your work life invade your personal life, it's important to maintain boundaries so your personal life doesn't get in the way of work. If you work from home, leave yoursFamilyand/or roommates know when you're "on" so you can work without disturbance. Take your pets out early and play with them before work so they get the love and attention they need before entering the work area. Stay away from social media and your personal email so you can focus on your work.
Speaking of social media, unless the people at your work are specifically trying to befriend you, it's best to keep your colleagues and coworkers away from you.social media. Social networks are a chaotic environment; Even if you make an effort to maintain a clean and professional brand on social media, you could still end up saying or doing something that might offend someone you work with (even if you have the best of intentions).
There is no perfect balance
It is important to seek balance; Equally important is the acceptance that there is no such thing as a perfect work-life balance. There will be times when work becomes too hectic and takes precedence, other times when personal crises or life milestones such as children, marriage or a funeral can also upset this balance. The key is to endure these sudden changes with grace and recognize them as temporary. Don't kick yourself if your balance is off balance; As long as you can tell when it's out of alignment, you can take the proper steps to correct it.
Article by Austin Britta
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