Creating balance between work and home life

Overwhelmed?

Balancing working life with personal life has become even more challenging years.

Setting boundaries when working at home can be a struggle. The lines are blurred and work can run away with us. Then, before we know it, we are answering messages late at night, encroaching on our own time.

No time for yourself?

We sometimes have to learn to say “no” more often, or work time can creep far into our home life. Many people find this tough and worry about offending others. In reality, boundaries we set are often accepted with no question.

If the thought of saying “no” fills you with horror, consider some coaching. Coaching can help you explore why it might feel difficult for you and help you take the action that you want to.

How to set healthy boundaries and stop work from taking over.

🔑 Prioritise your wellbeing and avoid “connection fatigue”. Set limits for yourself and avoid checking emails out of hours. Protect the time when you can be relaxing with your family and friends.

🔑 Manage the expectations of others. Why not set an end time for notifications, let others know and stick to that.

🔑 Tell others what you need. Your colleagues won’t know unless you tell them. This can help to avoid stress.

🔑 If you can, leave your workspace when work is finished, to help you switch off.

🔑 Are you struggling with prioritising? Coaching can help you to learn to manage and control your workload. A few short steps organising yourself can save hours in the long term.

🔑 Working long hours with no breaks and never switching off is more likely to reduce your productivity than increase it (although it may not seem like it!). We can often be guilty of skipping breaks, but even 10 minutes can keep productivity levels high.

🔑 Make arrangements for after-work activities. Don’t forget to socialise.

Most of all, we must remember to be kind to ourselves. Without balance, our health and wellbeing will suffer. Your definition of a balanced life is unique to you and it can take time to get it right.