How to: Balance Work and Life

Striking a healthy balance between work and life can seem impossible. But if you continually spend too much time and energy on work, the compounding stress can damage your health, relationships and overall happiness.

What does this look like?

People who have a healthy work-life balance:

don’t let one area dominate the other
invest in more than one dimension of their lives
know how to attend to both work and life.

How can I do this?

1. Define balance

Define what balance means for you. For example, is it:
having a few hours each week unencumbered by work worries?
taking four breaks a day?
some solitude before bedtime?
more time to play with your kids?
time and energy for meaningful conversations at home?
the chance to do activities you love?
Talk to your partner, family or friends about how you can achieve more balance in your life.

2. Organise your time off

Organise and schedule your time off in the same way you schedule your time at work. Prioritise the things you want to do outside of work and schedule them in your diary.
Set work-life balance goals and plans for achieving them.
Find ways to save time, for example:
delegate tasks to children
arrange carpools for kids’ activities
consider paying to have some things done for you, like cleaning.

3. Learn to be in the moment

When you have time off work, try to be in the moment and have some fun. Train your mind to be where you are.
If you find yourself worrying about work when you’re not there, try:
- writing down what you’re worried about, separating work problems and people problems
- noting any solutions that come to mind
- creating a to-do list.
Help yourself to transition from work to home and clear your head with activities such as:
- playing music on the way home
- playing with your children as soon as you get home
- going for a walk or swim straight after work.

4. Learn to say no

Know when to say no. By saying no to one thing you’re saying yes to another. Learn to say yes to the things that will help you achieve better balance in your life. Say no to the things that will create imbalance. For more information consider learning about how to Set priorities and how to Delegate.

5. Reassess

Think about what matters most in your life and where you want to be in 20 years’ time. Look at people who are older than you. What did they prioritise and what were the results?

Remember that if your life is out of balance and you’re not taking time to refresh, you’re at risk of burning out and becoming ineffective.

6. Talk to other people

Talk to those who know and care about you about your work-life balance. What’s their perspective? Ask for their advice on how you could achieve a better balance.