Jul
06
2017
5 ways to get the perfect work/life balance
Getting the perfect work/life balance can seem like an unachievable dream, but as Walt Disney said; if you can dream it you can do it. Many of us put too much pressure on ourselves to get the ‘perfect’ balance between work and play unnecessarily; it’s actually not too difficult once you know how to do it.
Here are five simple tips to help you manage your work/life balance, without causing yourself loads of stress.
1. Adopt a growth mindset
Mindsets are beliefs about your most basic qualities; your talents, your intelligence, your personality. A lot of us are guilty of setting those traits in stone rather than embracing learning opportunities, but a growth mindset focuses on developing your most basic of abilities through dedication and hard work.
But what does that mean for your work/life balance? It allows you to realise that things aren’t set in stone, and research shows that if you believe that your brain can grow you behave differently. This can lead to better productivity at work without the added stress that inevitably gets taken home.
2. Tap into your Emotional Intelligence (EI)
We all know what emotions are, but how is your Emotional Intelligence? This concept focuses on awareness of emotions, as well as using them to enhance thought. There are four different parts to EI; the perception of emotion, the ability to reason using emotions, the ability to understand emotion and the ability to manage emotions.
Once you’ve mastered these areas, you’ll be able to use your emotions to your advantage; whether that’s feeling guilty for not working late, or feeling too stressed to enjoy your weekend at home.
3. Put things into perspective
The little self-talk voice that tells you everything is awful is not telling the truth. Similarly, you may have convinced yourself that that a report you have to write is incredibly stressful and difficult. These are the times where you need to step back, take a look at the situation, and ask yourself “is this situation as bad as I am making it out to be?”, “will this matter in five years’ time?”
Nine times out of ten it won’t be that bad at all.
4. Learn to say no
Are you one of those people that say “yes” to everything, then end up with a pile of work and commitments? You’re not alone, but saying “no” once in a while can really help. Saying “yes” instead of “no” can easily lead to stress, resentment, and anger.
Start by saying “no” once a week, then gradually increase it and see how much it helps.
5. Fight the guilt
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be perfect at everything and to make everyone else happy, but that’s not fair on us. It’s okay to leave work on time so that you can enjoy an evening with family or friends, it’s okay to say “no” and have a life outside of the office, and it’s okay to turn off your emails when you’re at home!
Want to know more about getting the perfect work/life balance? We have a range of personal effectiveness courses including Emotional Intelligence, Increasing performance with positive psychology, and Assertiveness skills.