Between graduating from student life and joining the working adult world, there are many adjustments you may face. One of the largest adjustments involves juggling with work life balance. In school, it is fairly easy to balance our schedules and routines with consistency. Class schedules have clear expectations, and there is a mutual understanding that we need time to have fun too. This leaves it as a surprise to our routines when work does not set these clear boundaries. Instead, we must set the boundaries for ourselves. Keep reading to learn about work life balance importance & how to have it.
What is Work Life Balance?
There is no clear definition of what work life balance is. For some, work life balance means spending time with family. For others, it means making time for fitness, dating life, going out with friends, or pure relaxation. It can also mean leaving work at work, instead of bringing stress home with you. Or, it may be a combination of multiple things. I can’t tell you exactly what work life balance will mean for you, because I don’t know exactly what is important to you. But overall, work life balance will mean making time for these things.
It is also important to realize that work life balance is a balance! Sometimes you may have a busy week at work and work life balance falls on the back burner. And that is okay! Being career-oriented for the right reasons can be very fulfilling. However, it is important to return to the balancing act rather than making it a habit.
What is My Work Life Balance?
If you aren’t sure what your expectations of work life balance are, journaling can be a great way to find out. Try using one of the journal prompts below to recognize what is important to you, outside of work. As you are writing, don’t take the time to overthink or judge anything. The beauty of journaling is allowing your most pure thoughts to transfer to the paper, and no one else has to see them! Try to keep your pen moving to avoid filtering your thoughts.
Once you have answered any of these journal prompts, you should feel more in touch with the things that are important to you. If you are already making time for them, then that is great! You likely have a very healthy work life balance. However, if you aren’t sure where you could possibly fit any of these things in or fall somewhere in the middle, it may be time to focus on a stronger work life balance.
How Do I Create Work Life Balance?
In order to make time for things that are important to you, you must set clear expectations for yourself. Keep reading for a helpful exercise to understand where you should begin.
Read through your journal entry and prioritize your priorities! For each priority written, make note of non-negotiables, things related to strong mental or physical health, and things you would simply like to do. Next, work your way down the list and start by choosing just one non-negotiable or health-related thing that you don’t make time for but need to. Make this a priority and calendar it regularly into your schedule as you would calendar in a work meeting. If you would not miss an important work meeting, do not allow yourself to miss this important personal priority either. Give yourself the same respect!
Even adding one priority to your schedule can make you feel shaken up, and that is okay. Change can be difficult to execute, and execution is often far from perfect in the beginning. However, change can also lead to really positive things if you take hold and run with it.
When times get tough or you miss a day of your new priority, do not accept permanent defeat and let it slip away. Instead, come back next time with even stronger intention. You can make this happen! If you envision excuses, then excuses will find you. If you envision success, then success will find you. For tricks on staying motivated as you add this new important item to your schedule, read How to Stay Motivated with 3 Mindset Hacks.
What is Work Life Balance Importance?
Work life balance is important because it allows you to have more of what you want in your life. If you have reflected on your priorities but are still not completely convinced, this section is for you.
Productivity & Burnout
How many times have you worked on a project late at night, and you feel like it takes you more time than usual? Maybe you are half in it with distractions at home, or maybe you are just exhausted. The reality is, sometimes it is more productive to take the time to relax and then dedicate full, renewed focus in the morning.
When you are overworked and overtired, your output is not the best that it can be. You have less energy, less mental capacity, it takes more time, and results may not be as great. Think about it. Would you run 10 miles, ignore the need to recover with protein, rest, and stretching, and then go for it again the next day? I hope not! Your mind is a muscle too, in need of recovery breaks to perform its best.
Lack of a work life balance can also lead to burnout, which is a longer-term verison of the above. Burnout causes you to feel long-term lack of motivation due to being overworked and not taking care of yourself. And you may be thinking that you can take a day to rest and reset once you have reached burnout, but this is not the case.
Burnout affects you both physically and mentally, and it can take anywhere from weeks to months to fully recover and gain your energy and edge back. If you think taking an hour out of your day to prioritize self care is too much time, imagine taking weeks to months to return to yourself again. With a strong work life balance regularly, you can avoid burnout and the lengthy recovery process that comes with it.
A Balanced Life
And if this was not enough, how about considering the fact that work life balance will improve your quality of life? Seriously, though. This point is the most important of all in my opinion. While there are many reasons that work life balance is important, the one that should stand out above all is that it will make your life better. You will have greater fulfillment through accomplishing personal objectives. You will also have stronger mental and physical health by taking the time to care for yourself. Be entirely self-focused for a moment, and affirm that work life balance is something you deserve. A balanced and happy life is something you deserve.