How to Create a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Do you struggle with your work-life balance?
If so, it’s not just you. In fact, research shows that more than 60 percent of US employees feel that there could be improvements made in their balance between career and personal life.
Like anything in wellness, finding this place of balance is never a result of changing just one thing. It’s about approaching the issue from all directions. Change can be daunting because of the fear of sacrifice. However, harmony can be achieved between work and homelife by making simple adjustments to what you’re already doing well.
Let’s dive in!
What does work life-balance look like for you?
The idea of balance is going to look different for everyone. We all have different circumstances, responsibilities, and desires in life. In general, finding harmony between career and homelife involves accomplishing your tasks while also tending to your personal needs. In order to do both, it requires a lot of time management and organization of priorities.
Take this time to reflect. Think about what work-life balance would look like for you in an ideal world. Maybe it’s as simple as a productive work day and an evening of tackling your personal responsibilities and having a little time to yourself to unwind before bed. The important thing is to envision a realistic shift in your current routine. In order for goal-setting to be attainable, find commitments that you know can happen with your current lifestyle.
What are your roadblocks to work-life balance?
All of the above is easier said than done. Typically, this is because everyone faces roadblocks. In order to make changes, it’s important to reflect on your personal roadblocks. Everyone has them! These could like:
Overworking and burnout. Our work-hard culture can be a great thing, but it can also take a toll on our wellbeing! Long work hours, stress, and competition can distract us from tending to our health and personal matters.
Social media and technology. We have so many temptations to distract ourselves! From scrolling on Instagram for what feels like 5 minutes (but is actually 1 hour), to binging a show on Netflix, to tending to 6 different group chats; so much of our time is taken up by technology and trying to over connect.
Self-care taking the backburner. Neglecting our natural self-care, like sleep, movement, and nourishing meals, can make our work-life balance struggle even stronger because we are not building a strong foundation of health to tackle our tasks.
Health struggles, like inflammation. When we’re not feeling our best or living in pain, it can become increasingly difficult to accomplish our tasks at hand.
Why is finding this balance so important to your health and wellness journey?
Tedious repetition and routine can leave us feeling stuck in life. Humans, by nature, crave variety. Our work-first culture perpetuates the idea that if we’re not working all of the time, we are not being our “best-self.” However, our “best self” is found in versatility.
Just like you need to repair your muscles after a workout, you need self-care and personal time after a work day. Just like you need a nourishing breakfast in order to have energy throughout your day, you need satisfaction to combat stress.
Furthermore, burnout can lead to a weakened immune system, increased anxiety, hypertension, gastrointestinal issues, and other health issues.
Tips for creating a healthy work-life balance.
We truly believe tackling a large topic, like work-life balance, requires us to make foundational changes first. In other words, making mental and logistical space for change in your everyday choices will help build a healthier person. A healthier person is going to have the tools and mindset to attain balance. Here are some tips to help:
Create a morning routine and stick to it! Your morning sets up your entire day. In fact, research has shown that a morning routine has the power to increase energy and confidence, help start your day off with clarity, aid productivity, allow you to create priorities and honor them, and in the realm of wellness, help you develop and stick to your healthy habits. Read more about how to set up your morning routine.
Eat throughout the day to maintain energy. “I forgot to eat because I was working” is something we hear all of the time from our clients! Forgetting to eat takes a toll on our blood sugar - leaving us feeling tired, shaky, and anxious. Being in that state of mind can distract us from making those foundational changes. If you’re someone who needs a reminder to eat, set yourself up for success! Set a reminder on your phone to check in with your body to assess if you need nourishment. Schedule a meeting leaving enough time for a meal beforehand. Pack nourishment to take with you to work or have in close proximity to your work environment. If you’re looking for an afternoon snack idea, try our Afternoon Pick-Me-Up Energy Balls!
Set boundaries. This “b word” looks a little different for everyone’s work situation. You can make easy adjustments to your boundaries, like putting your phone on “do not disturb” mode during certain timeframes or communicating with your co-workers that you’ll be eating lunch without looking at your emails. Finding self-care is possible throughout the day in little ways.
Schedule your health goals. If you are someone who thrives off of a schedule and is loyal to your calendar, take advantage of that! Pencil in your workout. That might help you adjust your alarm in the morning. Schedule prepping your lunch the night before. If we see it in writing, our brain is more inclined to commit to following through with that particular task.
Have a toolbox ready to go to help with stress. Stressors are inevitable, especially in a work environment. However, we have the power to change how we deal with these stressors. Breathwork is a great tool to help. By managing our stress, we are more inclined to make time for ourselves outside of work.
Get fresh air. Fresh air is one of the best free forms of self-care! When you breath in fresh air, you are exposing yourself to the sun, thus increasing your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is not only important for fighting inflammation and giving your immune system the ability to fight off pathogens, but it also nourishes your brain. Take a 5 minute break from your desk and take a walk around the block, building, or parking lot. You’ll be surprised how different you will feel afterwards!
Lean into communication. Finding a work-life balance can stem from the idea that we’re “under accomplishing.” If you work under someone, express to them how you feel about your workload. Maybe you feel like you don’t have the proper support, or maybe you even want to take on different tasks. Communicating your wants and needs can help create more harmony in your relationship with work and thus, your mental load at home.
Unplug at night. If you have a job that requires you to be on a computer all day long, give yourself a break in the evening from additional screens! Set a boundary for yourself to unplug from technology, especially social media, after a certain time. This can help make your free time more intentional and even decrease anxiety that might be caused by mindless scrolling.
Do something you love at least once a week. If you make time for an activity outside of work that makes you truly happy, you’ll be more inclined to focus on that activity and be present. The act of being present alone will boost your energy and well-being! It will also bring a better version of yourself back to the workplace.
Reflect on your purpose. In an ideal world, what is the kind of work you’d love to do or feel meant to do? If you aren’t feeling fulfilled in your career, perhaps it’s time to take a deeper look at what you want to accomplish. If it’s not feasible to make a pivot in your career, perhaps you can determine how to make your current position more fulfilling. Moments of true connection and fulfilment at work are possible for you! Sometimes, you just need a roadmap to get there.
Work-life balance doesn’t happen overnight, so we encourage you to make one small change at a time in order to build a strong foundation for overall change.
Cheering you on, friend!
In love and wellness, Mel and Mel
