Balancing the demands of work life and home can be a major source of stress; some simple techniques can help you improve your well-being and quality of life.
Do you spend more time at work than you do at home?
In today's global workplace of advanced communications people now have the ability to work almost anywhere – from their home, their car, even while they are on vacation. Thanks to technology like cell phones, laptops, and video conferencing, many people are working longer hours than they used to and the boundary between work and personal time has blurred. But when your work life and your personal life are out of balance, your stress level can soar.
It isn't easy to juggle the demands of career and personal life. For most people it's an on-going challenge. Here is some advice from the experts on how to maintain the balance:
Try to schedule some of your routine chores on workdays so that your days off are more relaxing.
Track everything you do for one week, including work-related and non-work related activities. After you see your patterns, decide where to make adjustments, such as cutting or delegating activities you don't enjoy, or which aren't priorities.
Organise household tasks efficiently, for example: doing one load of laundry every day, rather than saving it all up for your day off.
Set aside some time each day for an activity you enjoy, such as reading, listening to music, or practicing a favourite sport or hobby. This will help you to decompress after a hectic day.
There's nothing as stressful and potentially dangerous as working when you are sleep deprived. Not only is your productivity affected, but you can also make costly mistakes. You may then have to work even more hours to make up for these mistakes.
6. Communicate Clearly
Eliminate time-consuming misunderstandings by communicating clearly and listening carefully. Take notes; write lists, etc. to keep yourself organised.
Take the phone of the hook, turn off the computer and TV, and discover the activities that you can do with family and friends. Making time for the people and activities you enjoy will rejuvenate you.
During times of stress it can often help just to talk about it with a trusted family member, friend or co-worker. You may also want to consider professional help such as your doctor, a psychologist or a counsellor.
