According to a StrategyOne survey conducted in 2010, 89% of participants reported having trouble finding a balance between work and life.  In today’s world, everyone wants to succeed in every aspect of their life and it’s hard to strike the right balance between life at home and life in the office.

Here are some helpful tips to make the most out of the time you spend with loved ones and the time you spend at work.

Work Tips

Prioritize!

• Make a list of the most important things you need to get done and make an effort to accomplish them before the day is through.  Be sure that when you do work overtime, you devote those precious hours to something that absolutely can’t wait.

Stay focused during work hours.

• Track your work activity for a week and see where and how you get distracted.  Try to make the most of your 8 – 10 hours in the office and make sure you stay on track to avoid logging more hours than you have to.

Use your commute to your advantage.

• During your morning commute, devise a plan for what you want to tackle at the beginning of the day and use your commute home to unwind and decompress.

Home Tips

Create a buffer between work and home.

• Take a walk, call a friend, or sing a song… do anything to establish the line between work and personal time prior to jumping into the dinner planning, homework helping, or any other routine.

Get involved in a hobby and stick to it.

• This will help you create an identity for yourself outside of the workplace.

If you must discuss work at home, set a time limit for venting and move on.

• Don’t compromise home relationships by consistently discussing and reliving any negative aspects of the day.

I think one of the most important ways to keep that balance, and your sanity,  is being able to say NO. This applies to both home and work life.  It is impossible to please everyone, all the time.  If you are asked to help with something or go somewhere when you honestly cannot fit it into your schedule, it is okay to say no.  Don’t overbook yourself and put yourself in a stressful situation that can be avoided. Burning the candle at both ends can lead to fatigue which would only further complicate your life.

Establishing and maintaining quality relationships will be beneficial in both work and home life.  Things will never run 100% smoothly in any one area of life, but learning how to be the most productive at work and enjoying your down time will result in the a better balance between the two.  Don’t spend your days stressing out and, by default, wasting precious time.  Learn from your mistakes and try to enjoy every second of your day no matter where you are.

- Melissa F., Staffing Consultant