It’s no secret that Americans have become workaholics. The average American worker works 1,791 hours per year, compared to the OECD average of 1,715.8. With laptops, it’s easier to leave work just to bring it home and work on it there. Our lives are full of demands, but all needs are not created equal. Healthy boundaries and balance need to be put in place in your life. These 4 tips to a happy work/home life will get you back on track.
- Plan ahead and set blocks of time for different tasks
While work is important, physical activity, time spent with family, and rest are just as important, if not more so. Therefore, having a daily planner can help you make time for everything. Take the day hour by hour and keep the structure in your life. It may seem silly to plan a time for rest, but this may remind you to turn off those email notifications and put the phone away. Nothing should take over the priorities in your life.
- Enlist technology to help you unplug
There are apps for everything these days, including an app to restrict work tools after hours. If possible, move work to one device only, so that it is easy to put away. Some apps include: Jira, BigTime, and Harvest. These will help you track time spent on certain software and set a time limit, much like screen time on an apple device. If it’s hard to pull away from work, these apps will help you switch off. Trust me, it’s worth it.
- Learn to say No
Wanting to please everyone is a great character trait, but it is simply impossible. It’s important to be aware of what you’re agreeing to and how much time you will have to put into something to do it right. There’s no reason to start being a jerk to everyone, but boundaries are necessary for a happy life. Consequently, this may be a hard thing to start, but as always, practice makes perfect. Begin by accepting that you’re only human, and there are limits to what your mind and body are capable of. Using lines like, “I can’t today, but maybe tomorrow” or “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any more room on my plate this week” will insert a respectful boundary in a polite way.
- Remember Matthew 6:33
As believers, God’s glory should take the number one spot in your life. God has given you the skills to get where you are in the workforce and He is deserving of glory for that. Making time to be in the presence of the Word should be on your list of daily to-dos. Next on that list of priorities, should be your family. God gave you that community to draw you nearer to Himself.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
And all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33
Finding work/life balance may take some serious trial and error, but the payoff will be worth it. Try new strategies that work best for you and your family. Take back your life and enjoy it!
