Saima Ikram
The pursuit of a healthy work-life balance seems like an impossible goal for some people. You feel like being torn apart juggling the heavy workload, managing relationships, taking on family responsibilities, and squeezing out the outside interests. This is the reason people feel over-stressed at most times in their lives. But over time, the level of stress weakens your immune system and makes you susceptible to a variety of ailments. The chronic stress has also been discovered to double the risk of a heart attack.
Therefore, following are the few practical steps that you can take to loosen the grip that stress creates on you and to win back the balance in your life:
Understand that balance does not necessarily mean equal:
You must understand what the word balance means when it is described in context to your work-life balance. It does not at all mean equal because at times, either your personal or your work life takes on more weight on what is happening in a situation. But that is okay and you just need to understand for moving on to the next step.
Don’t try to do everything perfectly:
Sometimes you think that perfectionism should be the base of every task that you do. But that is not true. It is because the habit of perfectionism does change as you move forward with your life and priorities also shift in a number of ways. It becomes hard to do everything perfectly and in order to so, you over burden yourself with stress and anxiety. Therefore, let go of perfection and live a simple life where there is a room for flaws that may occur.
Know your limits:
In order to bring a work-life balance, you must know your limits. Set boundaries in your personal and professional relationships. Create rules for maintaining a proper functioning system even if you live alone. It helps to manage the work-life balance effectively.
Do exercise and meditate:
No matter how rough and tough your schedule is, you need to make out time for exercise and meditation. Exercise is a form of stress reliever and can give an active boost of energy and distract you from daily worries. Meditation, on the other hand, can help you reflect on your thoughts and connect more closely to yourself as well as your surroundings.
Schedule time:
For a healthy work-life balance, it is important to keep track of your time. Set proper time for your work and your personal life. Even when you spend time with your relationships, keep aware of the time and take out some me-time for yourself. It will help you gather all your racing thoughts and to bring yourself in a calmed state.
Take breaks:
No matter how tough your routine is, take breaks. These smaller breaks will help you get energized and be more productive. Listen to music in that free time period and relax. It will not only reduce stress and anxiety but will also stimulate your creativity.
Communicate effectively:
You can maintain a healthy work-life balance if you are able to communicate effectively, you will never feel alone. Make allowance for other people’s opinions and compromise where you think you can.
