We’ve all been guilty of working too hard from time to time. It’s especially easy when we’re up against deadlines, because we can tell ourselves that we’re just going to work a little over time until we’ve put some fires out.
The problem occurs when it becomes the new normal and you spend all of your time dealing with “emergency” stuff and never devoting any time to yourself. It’s bad enough when you work for someone else, but when you’re self-employed, it becomes an even greater challenge.
That’s because when you work for yourself, there’s less of a clear distinction between home and work, and so it’s easy for you to slip into bad habits. So what can we do to find a better work/life balance? Here are just a few of our top tips.
Finding a Healthy Work/Life Balance
1. Identify your priorities
There are times in life where your work will be your priority, and that’s fine – especially when you’re younger or if you don’t have a busy family life. Just remember that no one ever says that they wished they’d worked harder when they’re on their deathbed. We all have dreams and aspirations, and so it’s important for us to recognise that and to understand which of our current goals are our priorities.
2. Know where to draw a line
Building on from the last point, once you’ve identified your priorities, you need to make sure that you take steps towards them. If your priority is to spend some time with your children as you watch them grow up, for example, then you should plan ahead so that you’re not stuck working when they have soccer games or recitals. If a new client comes in or you’re swamped with work when those games and recitals roll around, draw a line under your work and go to see them.
3. Book time off
This again builds on from the last point, because if you know that there’s an important event coming up then you can book some time off to make sure that you’re able to enjoy it. When you do take that time off, remove your emails from your phone and don’t give in to the temptation to turn your laptop on. In other words, make sure that your time off is actually time off.
4. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness won’t help you to achieve a work/life balance in and of itself, but it’s still a great idea to make time for it. It’s all about allowing yourself to be in the moment and to enjoy the little things. It also allows you to clear your mind, helping you to forget about the day-to-day grind when you’re spending the evenings and weekends with your friends and family. As if all that wasn’t enough, a little mindfulness can also help you to re-evaluate your life and to determine whether you’re happy with your work/life balance or whether you need a change.
5. Set limits
This one can be easier said than done, and it also depends upon the way that you work. If you’re a single mother who works around her young child, for example, then it’s not realistic to set yourself specific work hours. If you can, though, try to limit yourself to a certain number of hours per day and to take regular time off. It’s even better if you can stick to pre-set hours and work a 9-5.
6. Listen to friends and family
It’s often difficult for us to look critically at our own lives, which is why it can be so useful for us to listen to what our friends and family tell us. If you get a reputation for being a workaholic, for example, then try not to wear it like a badge of honour. Instead, ask yourself if that’s a sign that you’re working too much. If you have a kid who tells you that you’re always too busy to play with them, that should set alarm bells ringing.
7. Make time for yourself
So far, we’ve mostly talked about how finding work/life balance so that you can spend more time with your loved ones, and it’s certainly true that that’s important. At the same time, you also need to make time for yourself so that you can follow your passions – or even just relax in the bath. If you don’t take any time for yourself, you won’t be able to be at your best, so if it helps then you can think of it as an investment.
Conclusion
Now that you know a few of our top tips for finding a healthy work/life balance when you’re self-employed, it’s over to you to put what you’ve learned today into practice. The single most important thing of all is to be aware of it, because you can’t take steps to fix your work/life balance if you’re not paying attention to it.
And so with that, it’s over to you so that you can continue the discussion. Be sure to let us know how you approach finding work/life balance in the comments and to check back soon for more articles.
