In our culture, the idea of grinding your life away seems like the only option. However, consistently putting your work first over your personal life can lead to a whole world of issues, including stress, burnout, tense relationships, and more. In order to be your best at work, you need to show up for yourself at home. In this article, we’ll explore some beneficial strategies to balance your career ambitions with your personal well-being. Let’s get started.
Set boundaries
One of the biggest challenges many people face when growing in their careers is setting boundaries. Somewhere along the way, we forget that our jobs aren’t everything. While authority figures like bosses, managers, and even coworkers may make the all-day grind of working their tail off look appealing, it comes with major sacrifices to their lives outside of their careers.
With a new generation entering the workforce, the idea of living to work is certainly shifting to the other side of the pendulum. In the long run, no job is worth sacrificing the precious time you have. Define specific boundaries between your work life and your personal life. Establishing a structure for working hours and sticking to it prevents work from encroaching on your personal time.
Make self-care your priority
With big career ambitions, we also often neglect self-care practices. While some people view self-care as pampering oneself with shopping and spa treatments, the principle of self-care is actually much greater than that. There are multiple categories of self-care, including social, physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, and professional. Our self-care needs shift and change over time, so some may seem more important to you than others.
No job is going to take care of you as best as you can. And to be able to show up for yourself in your career aspirations, you need to show up for yourself outside of those aspirations. Schedule time for exercise, make quality sleep a priority, have time for personal hygiene, eat healthy, have time for friends and family, and take care of your mental health.
Learn to ask for help
Another area of struggle regarding work-life balance and harmony is the ability to delegate and ask for help. Learning to delegate tasks at work and home allows you to focus on the things that matter to you while reducing and managing stress. Check-in with yourself about your schedule. Are you feeling anxious and overwhelmed with your to-do list? Do you lack time to take care of yourself and do the things outside of work that matter? If yes, it’s a good time to delegate some of these tasks to someone else.
Whether that means asking your partner to take the kids for drop-off so you can actually take a 15-minute shower or hiring someone to take your dog on a long walk while working from home with pets, finding the resources to take some things off your plate can make a huge difference.
Manage your time
Sometimes we’re our own worst enemy when it comes to time management. If you ever wonder how other people are able to fit seemingly so much into their day, time management might be your problem. Use time management techniques like task prioritization, assigning deadlines, and avoiding multitasking to maximize your productivity both in and outside of work. By optimizing your efficiency, you can free up more time for your goals, both in terms of self-care and career aspirations.
Advocate for yourself
If you ever feel like your ropes are being pulled from both ends, it may be time to start advocating for yourself more. If you never learn to say no, that leaves you vulnerable to getting taken advantage of both in your personal life and work life. Hopefully, your company advocates for employee wellness, but if they aren’t communicative about it, then you have to advocate for yourself.
Be open with your employer about your need (and right) for work-life balance. Discuss flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or adjusting your hours, if possible. Many employers value employee well-being and are willing to accommodate reasonable requests.
Be realistic
When it comes to your career and life goals, you need to be realistic. Unrealistic expectations can lead to increased stress and, ultimately, disappointment when you aren’t able to achieve them. Break your larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks to maintain your motivation and progress without feeling overwhelmed or burned out. And don’t be afraid to change and tweak your goals. As our lives change, it’s normal for our priorities and goals to shift, so don’t beat yourself up trying to achieve something that turns out to be less important to you in the end.
Incorporate mindfulness practices
You’ve probably already heard the buzzword of mindfulness, but it’s for good reason. Incorporating mindfulness practices into your daily routine can help reduce stress and improve your focus. Techniques can include meditation, deep breathing exercises, and practicing gratitude, which can help you stay present in your life and stay calm when faced with challenges.
Keep organized
If you’re disorganized by nature and you’re feeling stressed, your organization habits (or lack thereof) are likely a disadvantage. You can keep both your professional and personal lives organized with to-do lists, calendars, and task management tools. Having a clear overview of your responsibilities and commitments reduces stress and prevents important tasks from getting neglected and slipping through the cracks.
Make time for outside interests
As we said before, making time for self-care is crucial to work-life harmony, and this includes making time for the things you enjoy. Schedule time for the activities that fulfill you outside of work. Whether this means spending time with the people you love, pursuing hobbies, or volunteering, you need these to help recharge your batteries and improve your overall well-being.
Review and reassess
Last on our list of strategies for balancing your career ambitions with your personal well-being is periodically reviewing and reassessing your priorities and commitments to ensure they align with your values and long-term goals. Adjust your schedules and goals as necessary to maintain balance and fulfillment in these two areas of your life.
Balancing the personal with the professional
By shifting your perspective and priorities where necessary, you can achieve both your professional goals and a fulfilling and joyful life outside of those aspirations. Work isn’t everything, but if your career goals mean everything to you, just make sure to strike some kind of balance.