Lately, I have been feeling a little dull and it took me a while to figure out why. So, I did some research, and I came across the phrase, “work-life balance”.

As soon as I leave my 9-5, I hop into freelancing, working on blogs, creating graphics for my social media, and editing YouTube videos. I found that if I do not at least complete a certain amount of task for the day I often feel unaccomplished. This often results in an overwhelming feeling and I sometimes need more than passion to continue working.

So, what is “work-life balance”?

Work-life balance is basically the state of equilibrium where you equally prioritize the demands of your career and the demands of your personal life. It is turning off the phone, closing your laptop, and just focusing on your personal life such as family, friends, and your individual self.

A work-life balance is necessary, healthy, and very important for everybody, but it is sometimes not easy and is the last thing on our minds.

Here are three suggestions for those struggling or who need a reminder that it is okay to take a break.

Snooze Email and Call Notifications on Weekends or After Work

I know this is not easy, especially since you are used to checking your emails almost every second.

Taking calls or replying to emails after business hours is one way many of us seep our work life into our personal life without even realizing it. I recommend snoozing emails and calls one hour after work and up to another hour before work starts the next day.

Doing this might feel a bit strange, or you might feel guilty, but not doing this only allows those who had access to you throughout the day to take advantage of your time at home.

Take a Weekend Break

The weekends are probably the days freelancers use to get most of their work done. Because of this, you work from one week to the next with zero breaks. Let us not mention the fact that you probably had other errands to get out of the way.

Sometimes we need to take breaks from work to remain motivated. Feeling overwhelmed all the time can affect the quality of the work we produce.

Plan Dates with Family and Friends

I know. Sometimes with a ton of work, you feel like there is no room for weekend plans or holidays.

As the saying goes, “where there is a will there is a way.” With enough effort and determination, we can find space in our planner for a family or friend date.

Placing leisure in between work gives you a refreshed feeling. It’s almost as if you come up for a fresh breath of air, and you are ready to start swimming again. With this breath of fresh air, you will be able to focus better on your work resulting in even more success.

Realize that being busy is not the same as being productive

Sometimes we make mistakes in our work when we are tired. Over time society has made busy look luxurious, and because of this persons do not feel like they accomplish much in the week if they were “not doing enough”. I have experienced this many times and have even been angry at myself for not doing enough.

Over time I have learned that being busy does not mean I am being productive. Some of the things we are working on will take time and patience. While we work and wait for things to work out it is important that we take some time off so that we can have a clearer vision. Being busy can blur the path we are on and just a day out with friends or on the beach could clear that blurriness.

There you have it, four tips to balance your work life with your personal lives for all my workaholics. I hope this blog helps keep you focused on your career/job and personal life. All the best!

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