How to find a work life balance

If you are finding your job is causing you to feel overwhelmed and stressed outside of work, your work life balance may need some extra attention. Setting boundaries, learning when to say no and leaving perfection behind can help to achieve a better work life balance.

Setting Boundaries

Start by leaving your work at work, turning off notifications and letting your colleagues or customers know you won’t respond outside of your working hours are great ways to improve your work life balance. Separating your work from your home life can increase your productivity at work by ensuring you get the proper rest and relaxation required at home without interruptions from work.   

Practise Saying ‘No’

At certain points in your career or whenever you’re aiming for a promotion, saying ‘no’ at work can feel impossible. However, if you’re feeling stretched with your work already, taking on extra responsibilities can compromise the quality of the rest of your work. Another consideration is accepting that you may have to make others wait sometimes. If there is a task or project you truly can’t say no to, be prepared to ask your colleagues to wait. Many people respect reliability over urgency, just make sure to clearly communicate your time frames when agreeing to extra work.

Let Go of Perfection

Striving for perfection can often prevent you from achieving a work life balance. The emphasis on balance suggests that letting go of perfection in one area of your life such as at work, allows you to set more realistic expectations and do well in all areas of your life. This may include a longer turnaround to complete tasks at work because you no longer stay late to get the work completed out of hours or accepting that your home won’t be immaculately clean because you work full time and don’t have the capacity to do a deep clean every week.

Pay Attention to Your Feelings

Creating a work life balance is an ever-evolving cycle that needs constant reassessment. What may work for one person may not work for another, this is why it is important to pay attention to your feelings. If you’re finding that you often feel overwhelmed and stressed by work, it may be time to practice some of the tips discussed above. However, you may find you can take on more at different times in your life than others. Listening to your feelings can help you gauge if you’re taking on too much or have capacity to take on more.

Feeling overwhelmed and stressed? We offer a non-judgemental and confidential space to share your thoughts and feelings. If you think you could benefit from talking therapies, more details on self-referring to your nearest service can be found at the bottom of this page.