High stress levels are one of the biggest challenges workers face today. In a high paced and technologically driven economy, many companies and their employees are taking the balance between work and life more seriously.
It’s becoming increasingly apparent that we cannot maintain high levels of productivity without taking time and care for our lives outside of our professions.
Take advice from these top professionals’ tips on how to manage a daily balance between our jobs and our home lives.
Don’t Overplan
I would advise people not to structure their lives too much. Having some kind of plan or schedule is definitely useful for fitting in all that you need to and want to into your life, but too much planning and scheduling can also end up backfiring and causing unnecessary stress.
As long as you can find ways to eliminate stress from your life and to maintain a sense of inner peace from things like meditation and keeping up with your health and wellness, you’ll be better able to use your natural instincts to determine how much work is too much (or too little).
- Mary Berry, CEO and Founder Cosmos Vita
Find a Daily Activity to Unwind
Give yourself one small thing to do for yourself at the end of the day. Not a chore or a task, but something relaxing that will help you unwind. A great book, album or favorite show to look forward to can do wonders for your mental health throughout the day.
- Dylan Arthur Garber, Co-Founder Audien Hearing
Ground Yourself in the Morning
Do something grounding every morning. Too often we wake up in a rush to get straight to our tasks for the day.
Starting your morning rested and grounded (and avoiding screens) will have you ready to take on anything, and keep you motivated to finish your tasks. For example, a morning walk or exercise routine.
- Lindsay McCormick, CEO and Founder Bite
Get Some Sleep!
Make sure you are getting enough sleep! Too many of us let sleep be an afterthought but it makes the biggest difference to be well-rested. Without enough sleep, you’ll feel groggy and unmotivated.
Sleep is essential to our overall health and without it, your body and mind can’t recharge for the next day.
- Nancy Belcher, CEO By Winona
Start an Exercise Routine
Exercise is always good for your health, and leading a healthier lifestyle will allow you to maintain a healthier work-life balance.
With sufficient exercise every week, you’ll start to feel more alert and energized which will help you with multitasking, especially with the distractions that are bound to come up when working from home.
Even if you’re not working from home, increased energy levels and a sharper mindset derived from consistent exercise can make it easier for you to switch mentally from your working life to your family and social life.
Many people who don’t exercise enough feel exhausted when they come home from work and opt to just relax and watch Netflix most evenings.
You don’t want to constantly feel so drained that you end up missing out on opportunities to have fun and really engage with other people.
Exercise is beneficial for both your physical and mental health and it can help expand the possibilities of what you can accomplish, so I would highly recommend it.
- Chris Caoutte, Co-Founder Gorilla Bow
Make Your Space Yours
Make your workspace cozy! A good portion of us are working at home, but whether you are at home or in the office it’s important to make the space you work in personal.
Little mementos, a book you’re reading or a picture of the family can help you feel a little bit more grounded at work.
- Lori Price, Co-Founder Pixie Lane
Make the Most of Your Off Time
When you have time off, take it and make the most of it. That email can wait, your life is still the most important thing!
After all, without it, you wouldn’t be at work in the first place.
It’s important to honor the time we have to ourselves and our families.
This is essential for mental health in general, not just for balancing work and life. But it certainly kills two birds with one stone.
- Michael Jankie, Founder Natural Patch
Minimize Distractions at Work
In light of the continued rise of the gig economy, work-life balance continues to be a hot topic, but not one with a defined resolution.
Some strategies may work for some, while they’re not a great fit for others.
However, one thing that can help your “work time” from spilling over into your “regular life” is to ensure that you remain focused on tasks and projects during the hours that you have set aside for work, with as few interruptions as possible.
If you don’t stop for a social media break that turns into an Instagram marathon, then you’ll be more likely to finish your tasks as expected, and not be tempted to cross over into dinner or family time.
- Ryan Rottman, CEO and Co-Founder OSDB
Prioritize Tasks
Categorize your tasks by priority level. When you have a lot of little things on your plate, it can be hard to organize your time or even begin to think about how.
Making decisions about what needs to be done first can help organize your schedule throughout the entire week.
- Chris Riley, CEO and Founder USA Rx
Plan Leisure Time
Make a plan to do something social at least once a week. We often feel like we can’t give ourselves enough time or permission to do things, but we need that relief from work life.
It doesn’t have to always be with friends either, maybe a night alone is what you need.
Either way, setting a night dedicated to leisure isn’t selfish, it’s self-care.
- Jeff Meeks, VP of Sales and Marketing Energy Fit
Honor Yourself
Make a conscious choice to separate your work life from your personal life. If you can, leave right at the end of the business day and don’t bring home any work. Furthermore, try not to even talk too much about work when you’re at home or with friends.
Even if you have a lot of responsibilities that come with your job and you really like the company you work for, don’t define yourself too much by how you make a living. Don’t forget other aspects of who you are, for those should be honored as well.
- Ben Teicher, President Healthy Directions
Positive Self-Reinforcement
It’s ok to be critical of the work you do, but don’t bring yourself down if you don’t get something right the first time.
We’re all constantly learning how to do new things and how to improve ourselves, and it’s ok to make mistakes along the way. Be willing to improve, but have patience with yourself as you take on new challenges in work or life.
- Lauren Kleinman, Co-Founder The Quality Edit
Have A Sense of Humor
Keep a running log of funny things that happen throughout your day. Humor is a great way to relieve stress and having it be a part of your daily routine can keep you positive and energetic. And maybe you’ll have a fun story to share later on!
- James Ville, Chief Product Officer Gun Skins
Take Breaks Whenever You Can
If you can, take breaks during your workdays. While you want to perform well at your job, mixing up your daily schedule to incorporate walking, getting coffee, or catching up with a friend, even if just for fifteen or thirty minutes, will ultimately add up towards making your life more well-rounded.
You may even discover ways in which your work inspires your life and your life inspires your work.
Planning out this balance ahead of time will enrich your life.
- Mike Pasley, Founder Famous IRL
Find a Local Spot
If you commute to work, it can be nice to have a regular place to stop for a cup of coffee or lunch in the area. Getting to know the community you work in is a great way to keep yourself balanced and connected. Plus, treating yourself every now and then doesn’t hurt too much either.
- Marc Atiyeh, CEO Pawp
Plan Family Time
Coordinate and pencil in appointments for spending time with your family and friends.
Contacting people and agreeing to spend time with them will force you to be held accountable for showing up.
Otherwise, it would be much easier to make excuses for staying late at work or stressing about a work project.
At the end of the day, your workload will never really end so you need to be proactive in separating yourself from your pending tasks in order to lead a more balanced lifestyle.
- Matt Seaburn, President Rent-A-Wheel
Wear Your Favorites!
Depending on where you work, what you wear can have a great impact on how you feel throughout the day.
I like to set some of my favorite professional outfits aside for the week so I know I’ll be wearing my favorite things.
It’s simple, but it helps keep a sense of self during those long, stressful days.
- Courtney Buhler, CEO and Founder SugarLash Pro
Find Hobbies Near Work
Find out if there are any fun activities you can engage in near your workplace.
This will make it easier for you to feel like socializing or pursuing a fun hobby or activity after work.
For instance, see if there’s an art class or a cooking class not too far from where you work and try to schedule a time to take one of these classes in the evening.
Even if you feel like you don’t necessarily need these skills for any particular reason, it’s still good to get out there, try new things and meet new people (or create memorable experiences with people you already know).
- Maegan Griffin, CEO and Nurse Practitioner Skin Pharm
