HERE’S HOW TO DEFINE YOUR WORK-LIFE PERIOD

No matter where your job takes you, striking a balance between work and personal life can be difficult. It’s all too easy to mix work and pleasure when you work from home, return to the office, or do a bit of each. And the good news is? You can have success in both your professional and personal life by striking a good balance. What follows are 5 strategies for finding that sweet spot.

• • Adhere to a schedule

Although not everyone is able to work the traditional 9-to-5, there are still methods to give your day some form regardless of your schedule. In order to avoid working nonstop, it’s a good idea to make a schedule and stick to it religiously. Despite the fact that there may be rare occasions where this guideline must be bent, it should be followed whenever possible.

• • Just be forthright about how much work you have and how long it will take you to finish.

It may be challenging, but it’s important to be open and honest about your workload with your coworkers and manager. Taking on too much at once might lead to poor results or burnout. While it’s normal to have a heavier workload during peak periods, if you consistently find yourself working past your normal shift, you may want to have a conversation with your boss about how you may better priorities your responsibilities and manage expectations. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

• • Do not allow your phone to bother you with email alerts.

Stressful as it may be to get an email outside of normal business hours, you have no influence over when someone chooses to send you one. If you find that you are constantly being interrupted by work-related emails or chats when on personal time, it may be time to disable notifications. Make sure your team knows why you made this choice and what they may expect from it. When time is of the essence, you should do the following:

1. Tell your team to text you if something is urgent

2. Check-in briefly on your own time

• • Use your vacation time wisely

You shouldn’t feel compelled to constantly squeeze extra work into your paid time off; instead, you should use this time to relax and rejuvenate. The time you take for yourself is vital even if you don’t go anywhere special. If you want to make the most of your vacation time this year, it’s best to plan it out in advance. It may be helpful to schedule or save random days off for mental health purposes.

• • Communicate

Having an open line of communication is critical at all times. Your manager should be approached if you’re having trouble finding time for personal pursuits outside of work. It’s important to remember that your manager probably doesn’t know everything that you’re up to or all the side projects that have you buried in paperwork. By being forthright and maintaining an open line of communication, you can better establish personal limits between your work and personal life.