Everybody wants to be able to overachieve at work and have a social life that most of us can only dream of. Unfortunately, both of these things tend to take up a considerable amount of time, leaving you with more or less no time for eating, sleeping, or any of that other stuff that’s so important for life! If you’re willing to be realistic about work-life balance and accept that every now and again there might be a social event that you can’t make it to, or an out-of-hours meeting that needs to be rescheduled then the good news is, that you can achieve a work-life balance that’s as close to perfect as possible.
Your Bedtime Routine
Photo, Caption: A quiet bedroom should be your sanctuary, away from smartphone screens
Getting in enough sleep is absolutely essential for your well-being. If you’re not well-rested then you can’t be expected to work to your full potential and when you finish work your loved ones won’t be getting the best version of you. That’s why getting your bedtime routine down to fine art is so important.
One of the factors that heavily contribute to a poor night’s sleep is excessive exposure to blue light. Many of us work at a computer screen for a large part of the day and almost all of us spend too much time on our smartphones. Both of these screens produce blue light which can confuse our circadian rhythms; the thing that governs our sleep cycle. Make sure you turn off all electronics before bed and if possible, use your computer and smartphone with a blue light filter at all times.
As well as this, some people who suffer from anxious thoughts might find that keeping a notepad by their bed could help their restless minds. Whenever a thought pops into your head about an email that you need to send, or a chore that needs completing, write it in your notebook and forget about it. Not only does this help clear your head, but it also gives you an excellent start to your to-do list for the next day.
The Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is the recommended technique by many productivity professionals as it can yield incredible results. The only downside to this technique is that it requires tremendous willpower, but once you’ve got into the habit of practising it, you’ll be amazed at how much more you get done in the same number of hours. The premise is very simple, you work solidly for twenty minutes without any distractions at all. That means no phone, no emails, no chats with co-workers, just uninterrupted work.
Once your twenty minutes are up, you break for five. During these five minutes, you can do whatever you want and ideally, it will be something totally unrelated to work. Some people opt to play five minutes of a game, chess is popular if you want to give your brain a workout, but if you want something a little less involved then online slot machines can be fun too. Vegas Slots Online has not only compiled a list of all of the bonuses available at other sites but also offers free and paid online slots, so you can choose to spend or not, whichever suits you. Sudoku, crosswords, and number puzzles are all excellent choices as well and are just as easy to find online as they are in a local newspaper, making them super accessible.
Quiet Periods
In order to make time for a fun and fulfilling social life, there needs to be some time when you aren’t at work. Smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and even laptops make it more tempting and an awful lot easier to be available to work all of the time. However, we shouldn’t give in to temptation. Making sure that you have an off period is really important, not just for your own sanity, but also so that you are truly in the moment and get to spend time with your friends and family uninterrupted.
When you’ve finished work, it’s time to put the email to rest. Make sure that your office knows that you won’t be available to take work calls, unless pre-scheduled, outside of your normal hours. Reply to emails for several periods throughout the day and then give them a rest during your free time. It won’t be the end of the world if you reply to an email late, but it would be an awful shame to miss out on quality time that you work so hard to enjoy.
Thomas Jackson is a dynamic and talented content writer at WonderWorldSpace.com, renowned for his engaging and informative articles. Beyond his professional pursuits in writing, Jack is also known for his deep passion for fitness, which not only shapes his lifestyle but also influences his work.