How to Find a Healthy Work-Life Balance
If we want to be financially and professionally successful, we will need to put our best foot forward on a daily basis. But we cannot perform at our peak unless we are physically and mentally prepared! While a good work ethic goes a long way, if you do not take time regularly to recharge your batteries, you are setting yourself up for mental and physical burnout, not success.
Research shows that constant stress, with no relief, damages both our minds and bodies. Find the right balance between your work and personal life by:
Managing Your Time: Even if you have multiple jobs, chances are, you have time in your schedule to relax: you just don’t see it yet! Assess your weekly and daily schedule. Are there tasks you could accomplish more efficiently, to create a more ideal span of your time for a rewarding activity? Are there habits you can drop, such as browsing on your smart phone excessively or binge-watching TV programs? Also, consider if you could possibly reschedule or delegate tasks to keep your workload within reason each week. Even an extra hour can go a long way toward resetting your mind and getting you ready for the work ahead.
Giving Your Mind a Break: Focusing on the same intense tasks and goals every day can become mentally exhausting for anybody. Push yourself to do a stimulating non-work related activity at least once a week, like a dance class, going to the gym, or trivia night. By asking your mind to focus on something different, even for an hour, you are improving your brain’s ability to solve problems and find new solutions during your workday.
Fueling Yourself for Success: In the end, it’s our body, not our car, that gets us where we need to go. Be mindful of how you choose to fuel yourself during your day. Focus on meals that will be sustaining and nourishing, finding a healthy balance among proteins, plants, and fats. Keep consumption of foods that deliver short-lived energy, like sweets and processed foods, to a minimum. Over-doing it on sugar and caffeine can not only produce an excessive energy burst, but it can also come with increased irritability and sudden crashes. Function at your best by making time to buy groceries and cook meals for your week ahead of time. Considering that home-cooked meals are cheaper than restaurant dining, this has the added benefit of being a penny saver!
Socializing!: It is important to make time to socialize and celebrate after a long work week. If your social interactions feel like a drag on your week, consider spending more time with like-minded friends who share your goals and participate in activities that nourish your mind and body. Spend time with your mentor whenever possible so that you can relax while also learning from their insight at the same time. Sometimes, all we need is to hear a different perspective to get the rejuvenation we need to face the rest of the week!
Trying to find more balance in your life? Visit the Syncis blog at www.syncis.com/blog to learn more.
