It’s a struggle that most of us face every day – the struggle to balance our work and life, if not ace it. Finding a balance between your personal and professional life can be very challenging, but it is also essential. Often, our priorities are set in a way that work comes before anything else. As important as our professions are, nothing should come over our physical and mental health. A healthier lifestyle not only enables us to live longer but also increases productivity levels. This makes the knowledge of the work life balance definition very important.
What is work life balance definition
Before we start talking about how to ace work-life balance, let’s first have a discussion on the work life balance definition. Work-life balance definition can be defined as a state of equilibrium where you are successful in prioritizing the demands of your professional and personal life in such a way that both get equal attention.
These are the major two points that lead to a poor work-life balance. A good work life balance will ensure several positive impacts on your life, viz. reduced stress, increased sense of well-being, and a lower risk of burnout.
Eight Ways to Ace Work Life Balance
Work life balance definition is nothing but reaching the equilibrium between your personal and professional life. It is not about dividing the work hours equally between your personal and professional life, but about being flexible enough to not miss anything important in either side of your life. Your work should be scheduled in such a way that you still have the energy to enjoy your personal life. In this article, you will find the eight best ways in which you can ace your work-life balance.
- Perfect Schedule is a Myth
There is no such thing as a perfect schedule. You might have wondered that having a perfect work life balance definition is that you can spend half of the day working hard in the office and spend the last half of the day with your friends and family. But most of the time this isn’t the case as it isn’t practical and realistic.
In the real world, these perfect expectations very rarely come true. There will be some days when you will have to spend more time working while on other days you can spend more time enjoying yourself with your family and friends or pursuing your hobbies. If you can accept this then achieving a work-life balance becomes a lot easier. - A Job that you Love
For most of us, a job is just a social norm, something we do just to ensure that our life is secure even if we don’t enjoy it. However, your job shouldn’t be restraining your happiness in any way. If you hate your job, achieving work life balance definition will be impossible and you will never be happy. Even getting out of bed every morning will seem like a chore.
The answer to this is to find a job that you love. This will keep you motivated and wouldn’t be draining you as much. Now, along with this, it is also important that your work environment isn’t toxic. If it is, start looking for a new job as a job with a toxic environment is also something that worsens your work life balance. - Health is Top Priority
By health, we mean all three – physical, mental and emotional. Your health, all aspects of it, should always be your main concern. If in any regard you think that you are struggling with depression or anxiety and feel that you need a therapist, then make time in your schedule for it. Don’t take on too much work if it makes you feel stressed. Also, if needed, don’t be afraid to call in for a sick day. Prioritizing your health will also make you a better employee.
One thing that people often misunderstand is that prioritizing your health doesn’t always mean that it has to be something extreme or radical. It can also be something as simple as exercise, meditation, or even just taking a break to recharge your energy. Everyone’s work life balance definition differs as per their lifestyle. - Unplug if Necessary
If you are having a very stressful week, don’t stop yourself from cutting off ties from the world and taking time for yourself. It gives you enough space to think and clear your mind. Giving yourself a break is a lot more important than you realize.
For this while, it also means that you will not be checking any work emails too. So you can use one of the email management apps like Mailman. With its unique features, it allows you to take out time for yourself without being disturbed. An example of this being the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature. There is also this ‘VIP List’ feature which allows a few important emails to bypass the other email settings set by you, in case the email is absolutely urgent. - A Needed Vacation
To be fair, this is another form of unplugging, but just longer. Unplugging for a single day will not help. Instead, taking a break for 3-4 days is much better to have your own work life balance definition. If you hold yourself back and work forcefully, you will only be disrupting the workflow and you won’t even be satisfied in the end. Therefore, don’t let this fear stop you. Plan it properly so that it doesn’t cause a problem in your workplace and talk to your manager about it, but do take the break.
- Time for Family and Yourself
While professional life is important, do not forget your personal life. Your job isn’t your entire life and you should still find time for the other things that matter, be it yourself, your family, friends, or just your hobby. This is one way in which you can ace a work life balance definition made by you.
Create a calendar and mark the days or events that you have planned to spend with your family and set reminders if necessary too. In this way, you will not forget about these things under the pressure of work and make time for those things as well. Work is important, but it shouldn’t keep you from the necessary events of your personal life either. - Boundaries and Work Hours
In order to avoid burnout, you need to set some boundaries. Leave your work and related thoughts in your office, be it upcoming work events or related phone calls. If possible, use a different mobile for your work so that you can switch it off right after work hours.
Keep a note of when you are working and when you need to stop working. If you don’t follow the schedule and work life balance definition you need to stop. Moreover you need stop in time to gain control over your habits. - Goals and Priorities
According to the work-life balance definition, your goals and priorities should give equal importance to your personal and professional life. Therefore, if you set your goals and priorities properly, it should give you a good balance and free time outside of your work.
Ace your work life balance!
For different people, the work life balance definition is different. Life commitments, needs and priorities vary for everyone. In this article, we have just stated a few points which might help you divide your time between your personal and professional life in a generalized manner. In the end, the decision to create your balance and set your boundaries is in your hands and it depends on the expectations that you have from your life.
Work life balance is the act of dividing time between one’s personal and professional lives.
1. Assess your strengths and weaknesses.
2. Prioritize your personal time also.
3. Sketch out the amount of time you spend on each task.
4. Set work hours for yourself.
5. Use productivity tools to help maintain work life balance.
1. Better health
2. More peaceful mental space.
3. Happier relationships
4. Higher productivity and time efficiency
5. Better rest.
1. Time balance: Refers to equal time being given to both work and non-work roles
2. Involvement balance: Refers to equal levels of psychological involvement in both work and family roles
3. Satisfaction balance: Refers to equal levels of satisfaction in both work and family roles
Working Balance means the value of total current assets less any total current liabilities.
