Work-Life balance. It seems to be some buzzword that employees throw around jokingly but never really attain. On most days, we end up setting aside our personal life finishing tasks from a list that never seems to be ending. The line between private and professional life seems to be blurring all the more since most of us are working from home. Can we do something about it? Read on for steps to take for better work-life balance.

I’m speaking from my own personal experience as a former workaholic who spent majority of my free time (including nights) at my laptop finishing projects. I barely had a life, and those free moments I had were spent doing chores or worrying about the next presentations. As a result, my relationships and well-being suffered. I was irritable, exhausted, and beyond stressed. I started hating my life.

All those factors led me to change my situation. There will come a time when you just snap and have enough. I hope you won’t need to reach that point. Before you hit your limit, here are some steps to take for better work-life balance.

Background image of laptop with text in the foreground saying "Steps To Take For Better Work-Life Balance" from www.kathleenwonders.com

Know your priorities.

First things first. You need to know what your priorities are. Is your family on the list? What about your health or that dream project you’ve been wanting to start? Include your long-term goals as well.

When you’ve thought about this, you need to check your actions. Do they align with these priorities? Are your day-to-day activities leading you towards your long-term goals? If not, it’s probably time to change that. Saying your family is a priority but never spending any time with them because you’re too busy at your job doesn’t seem truthful. As cliché as it may sound, actions speak louder than words.

Listing down the things you value and want to achieve the most is one of the most important steps to take for better work-life balance. It will serve as your foundation for the tips that follow. These are your “whys” and what you live for.

Printable calendar from Kathleen Wonders with areas to write down goals, self-care plan, highlights, and things I am grateful for under each month.

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Set boundaries

Drawing the line between your private and professional life is essential if you want to live a less stressful life. The way to do that is to set boundaries and be careful to maintain them. You can start with these simple methods below.

Learn to say no.

This is for all my fellow people pleasers out there: saying no does NOT make you a bad worker. Being a good employee does not mean giving up your life to make your boss happy. That just turns you into their slave.

I’m not saying that you should say no to all requests, because you do want to be flexible and show them what you are capable of. It just means thinking twice before accepting new commitments or requests. Will you have time (and by that I mean work, not personal time) to do it well? Quality is better than quantity in most cases, so jumping at the opportunity to please your boss but doing a mediocre job might backfire.

Also, remember your goals and priorities. Are you giving any of these up by accommodating that request? If you are, firmly and respectfully say no.

monkey doing yes man nod
Don’t be a yes man. GIF from Shanti.

Be careful about setting precedents.

I’ve fallen into this trap so many times as someone who couldn’t say no. Before you do something, make sure you’re okay to repeat them. This is great for submitting reports on time and those other tasks that are basically what you’re expected to do. You want to be a good (and even exceptional) employee, after all!

The precedents you want to avoid are those that encroach on your private life. At first, they might seem like minor things like working extra hours or giving up lunch to finish a couple of items. But the thing with precedents is that if you say okay once, you’re setting the stage for future events like this. Doing it implies that you’re okay with sacrificing your personal time, and you can bet that it will happen again.

Of course there will be special instances where you have to give in. But the trick is to make sure they remain special instances, and not something that they learn to expect from you since you’ve done it so often in the past. You don’t want to end up with them assuming it’s now part of your responsibilities when it never was to begin with.

woman hunched over desk, feeling overworked
Stop setting precedents about sacrificing your personal time or you might just get overworked. GIF from Shane Beam.

Take your free time seriously!

Many of us are guilty of checking emails and office chat groups when we’re supposed to be on our breaks. This takes away our focus from our other priorities. Our bodies may not be at our desks, but our minds are if we keep doing this. So make it a habit to turn off those notifications or set up automatic replies when you’re off. If you’re worried that you’ll miss something urgent, let your teammates know to call or text you when you’re absolutely needed. Otherwise, resist that urge to open your inbox!

Understand that burnout is real, and can cause both your professional and personal life to suffer. (Related: Self-Care Red Flags: 10 Signs You Need to Relax) This is why you should take your free time seriously and use part of it to recharge and refill your cup! If you give your 100% when you’re at work, you owe yourself that same 100% when you’re off.

So plan your free time and vacation leaves. Use these precious moments on your whys (from the first step). Maybe schedule a picnic with your friends/family, start on one of your personal goals, or simply relax with these sure-fire ways! Remember, all work and no play makes jack a dull man.

top view of cup of tea, gold spoon, heart-shaped tins, and phone with wallpaper saying "Breathe"
Don’t skip your lunch breaks either! Use it to take a nap or grab a soothing (or energizing) cup of tea.

Reevaluate your company’s culture

Sometimes, it’s difficult for us to set boundaries when our company doesn’t have policies that promote healthy work-life balance. They might indirectly encourage overworking yourself to finish the work of 3 people and frown upon your usage of your free time for your own plans. It’s not surprising though. There are a lot of organizations out there that want to squeeze the most out of their employees for better profit. Sad, but true.

If this is the case, it’s time to check your long-term goals and see if staying in this kind of environment aligns with them. You can always try to slowly take steps for better work-life balance if leaving is not an option for now. Just remember to always go back to your priorities and weigh the pros and cons of sticking with your company.

However, if you find that holding on to your position takes you further and further away from your goals and just tips the balance way over the “work” side, then definitely reconsider. Even though there are a lot of bad corporations, there are some good ones too. More and more companies are realizing that happy and well-rested employees mean lesser turn-over, increased productivity, and better performance overall. So even though it wouldn’t be ideal to start over in a new company, if it means better work-life balance, then it’s a price you should consider paying.

text: Happiness increases: creativity, collaboration, productivity. How happy is your team? Your happy workplace"
A happy workplace exists! So choose carefully. GIF from Your Happy Workplace.

Follow these steps for better work-life balance

Life is short. That’s why you want to make sure you’re making time for the things that are most important to you and to take care of yourself along the way. Work is a wonderful gift and allows us to sustain ourselves not just physically but mentally as well. For some, it can take front and center because it’s what gives them meaning, and that’s okay. But remember not to sacrifice your health, well-being, and relationships for it. Keep all bases covered with these steps to take for better work-life balance!

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