8 Steps to a Better Work / Life Balance …
Learn Your Employer’s Policies. Enquire about your company’s policies on flexitime and working from home. If you’re a strong or reliable & trusted performer, you have a better chance of negotiating an arrangement that works for both you and your employer.
Communicate. If you won’t be available for certain hours during the day or weekend because you’re dealing with family issues, let your manager and colleagues know, and get their full support.
Use Technology to Your Advantage.Technology should help make your life easier, not control it. Ban technology at certain times so that you can focus on your family or friends.
Remote working. Remote working a few times a week could help free up valuable hours. You’ll be able to focus on work for long stretches at a time and use the extra hours to meet personal responsibilities.
Learn to Say “No.” Remember that you can respectfully decline offers to run the PTA or serve on an extra committee at work. When you stop doing things out of guilt, you’ll find more time to focus on the activities that truly bring you joy.
Fight the Guilt. Superwoman and Superman are fictional characters. Real people can’t devote 100% to everything they do. Stop feeling guilty if you miss an occasional soccer game or bail on a colleague’s going away party.
Rethink Your Idea of “Clean.” Unmade beds or dusty moldings are not signs of failure. Try to get used to a little messiness and spend more time enjoying your life. If you can afford to outsource help, pay someone else to clean your house.
Protect Your Private Time. Allow yourself to daydream in the subway or appreciate good weather on your walk to work. If you don’t allow yourself pockets of personal time, you’ll become too burned out to fully appreciate any part of your life.