Managing the world of career/academic and personal life can sometimes be a headache. Most adults admit that their school life or career interferes with their relationship or family, and vice versa. By being able to balance your career and personal life, you can become a more productive person, and not easily depressed. To be able to balance it requires careful planning and preparation, but it can still be done.
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Method 1 of 5: Managing Time
Step 1. Try to separate work time from play time
In this age of the internet where people can study and work through the internet, you can easily spend all day at home and doing things. Taking classes or school or working remotely can even make your home life more flexible. However, the downside is that office work or schoolwork can carry over into the house and interfere with family activities. It can be hard to dodge when you can access work easily. In addition, without a clear separation between home (personal) life and work, it will be difficult to move from office life to personal life. To work around this, you need a different area or workspace.
- If you work or attend school from the internet, it's a good idea to work in a city library, coffee shop, or community center for students and remote workers. After you finish work or attend school, you can leave the place so you can experience the change from your work/school life to your personal life.
- If you have to work from home, try your best to provide a separate dedicated workspace. You can use a workspace at home, or some other special place (e.g. using one of the kitchen countertops as an 'office' area). If you sometimes work elsewhere, don't force yourself to work in the same place.
- If you work in an office building, make sure you find specific ways to move from your work life to your personal life after working hours are over. For example, you could listen to music or e-books on your way home from work, visit the gym for a quick workout, or call a friend for a small talk.
Step 2. Set priorities
In order for you to be successful in balancing work and personal life, you need to understand your priority position. This way, if you ever find yourself in an emergency situation, you won't be confused about what is most important to you.
- Make a list that includes the most important aspects of life. You can of course list things like family, romantic relationships, work, and spirituality. You can also include aspects such as volunteering, keeping active, maintaining social relationships or pursuing other interests.
- Review the list and rank the aspects you wrote down with the most important at number 1, the second most important at number 2, and so on. The order will show you what your priorities are. This way, you can make sure to include or incorporate these important aspects into your daily life and weekly schedule.
Step 3. Make a schedule and try to follow it
If you don't have a clear schedule of activities for a week and can't find tasks to do each day, it's a good idea to keep a record of everything you do during the week. After a week has passed, you will have a better idea of how to add time for work/school work and personal activities or other tasks to your schedule.
- It would be better if you create a weekly schedule that includes all regular activities such as work, classes, church/religious activities, and social activities with intermittent events (eg only one time). Then, the night before, map out a daily to-do list based on your priorities.
- For the daily schedule, mark the three most important tasks that need to be completed each day (regardless of going to work or school). These could be work assignments like preparing for a presentation, or personal things like going to the dentist or watching your child's ballet recital.
- You can even create two different lists if just one list seems too complicated. Make a list for the three main tasks from work/school, and a list for the three main homework assignments. As long as you can complete 3 to 6 tasks every day, you have shown your productivity.
Step 4. Resist the urge to procrastinate
Procrastination is a major barrier preventing you from striking a balance between work and personal life. You may notice that the world of work and personal life intersect because often you wait until the deadline before you complete the tasks at hand. This causes you to work late at night, or to be frequently distracted at work due to your duties or personal matters.
- One way to prevent procrastination is to write down your reasons for attending school or pursuing a particular career and the like. For example, if you want to help others, complete the tasks at hand remembering that they will help you achieve your main goal. Keep the list in your workspace for you to read if you ever feel unmotivated.
- Another way to prevent procrastination is to break a large project or job into smaller ones. This way, the whole project or job won't seem too complicated. In addition, your motivation will increase when you successfully complete small tasks.
Step 5. Eliminate distractions
You'd be surprised how much time and productivity is wasted on things that distract you. One study estimated that most people spend 20 minutes every hour doing something outside of their job (in this case, distracting activities). As a result, every day about 2 full hours are used just to restore focus lost due to distraction. If you can reduce the things that distract you from the world of work, you can also prevent them from interfering with your personal life. Try some of these tips to reduce distraction:
- Focus on important tasks, not urgent ones. Sudden tasks are reactive, while important tasks are proactive.
- Turn off notifications on your phone or computer
- Create a clean and tidy work environment
- Keep your phone away from you
- Close programs that are not actively used
- Drink, eat a snack or urinate when resting to reduce physical disturbances
Step 6. Develop creativity
No matter how far you try, sometimes one of the 'worlds' (whether the world of work or personal life) demands more of you. Try to be creative and think of possible ways to fulfill your most important priorities while still making ends meet or doing other activities.
- For example, you may be working late every week and not be able to meet or go out with your partner. You can try doing things like lighting candles at dinner or picking out a movie to watch together one night. In addition to not taking up a lot of time, things like this can prevent your partner from feeling neglected.
- To make work easier and make more time for your spouse and family, you can shift responsibilities to big projects or share work time with coworkers. If you can't reduce your workload, try making time for lunch to meet the family at the park or take your family to an office picnic.
Method 2 of 5: Creating Boundaries
Step 1. Observe and assess the situation at hand
No matter how hard you try to balance your work life with your personal life, there are situations where the two can cross paths, especially if you have children. Consider your personal life and the world of work when you identify situations where such an insult may occur. Think about your family members and your personal responsibilities. How often do they and those responsibilities require your attention when you are at work?
- For example, if you have young children, try to fit your work schedule into the children's schedule. Or, if you're the primary caregiver for the kids and you work from home, try to put your work aside and take a break whenever your kids need something.
- Sometimes, the importance of work is greater than your personal life. For example, if you work as a standby health care worker, you may sometimes have to cancel activities or appointments in your personal life in order to carry out your work.
Step 2. Always protect your health
The needs of others at work, school, or home can overtake your own physical needs. Unfortunately, if you neglect your health, there can be big consequences, such as not being able to go to work or attend classes, as well as not being able to participate in social or family events. Feeling anxious about wanting to get all the work done creates stress and, if left untreated, it can take a toll on your physical and mental health.
- To cope with stress and maintain a healthy body, make sure you do physical exercises several times a week. You can join the office gym team, run around the house with your partner, or head to the gym to work out.
- In addition to exercise, you can deal with stress by eating a balanced, nutritious diet each day, getting enough sleep, and following or pursuing other interests.
Step 3. Maintain your interests
When the world of work, school, or relationships is too demanding, we often leave our hobbies or interests behind in order to meet the demands. The problem is, giving up hobbies and interests can reduce your ability to handle the pressures of work and personal life. Therefore, try to keep your free time to relax and continue your social activities or hobbies.
- Indulge in making time for hobbies after you've completed a number of tasks.
- Another way to maintain interest is to schedule activities related to the miant. List your ceramics course or book club schedule on your calendar, as well as your family projects or assignments.
Step 4. Learn to say “no”
It may sound rude or selfish at first, but with practice, you will realize that by selectively turning down different projects or job opportunities, you can feel more free. Instead, say "yes" to an offer or job request that fits your top priorities, and that doesn't conflict with your schedule. Follow the steps below to find out how to decline or say “no” to an offer:
- Show that you understand how meaningful the request is by saying, for example, “This opportunity sounds great, but…”
- Provide a brief explanation, such as “Honestly, this is outside my field of expertise” or “I currently have too much work to do before the deadline.”
- Offer alternative options. For example, you could say "I can't do it, but I think I know someone who can do it well."
Step 5. Reduce the work or responsibilities you accept
If work and homework are constantly taking up time, you need to make a choice to reduce one of them-work or home responsibilities. Otherwise, you will continue to feel depressed and unhappy. Review your life to determine what needs to be further limited.
- Do you often come home late because you have extra work? Does your boss often give you assignments towards the end of deadlines? Are you financially able to do lighter/lesser work? If almost all of the answers to these questions are “yes”, chances are the world of work has been interfering with your personal life. However, you can talk to your boss about asking for a reduction in workload or hours.
- If you are a mother and also work, reducing your hours can be the key to greater satisfaction and happiness. Research shows that women generally feel happier when they reduce their workload to meet family needs.
- Does your partner often interfere with work with non-urgent (non-emergency) family or home issues? Is your performance declining because you often stay up all night to party with friends or partner? Do you have to leave work because you have something to do (eg drop off shopping) or do too much housework? If the answer to these questions is “yes”, your home life is reducing your abilities at work. You need to determine whether you need to limit the provision of assistance or acceptance of chores from family members at home who frequently interfere with your work.
Method 3 of 5: Managing Social Media
Step 1. Create a separate professional profile and personal profile
As social media evolves as an integral part of the world of work and home life, it can be difficult to create a social media profile specifically for each world. If you are actively using social media in your work and home life, it is important that you create a barrier between the two so that you can keep tabs on what is posted on social media, according to its 'world'.
Many people use LinkedIn to communicate and connect in the world of work or academics, and Facebook or Instagram to connect with friends and family members
Step 2. Have clear rules on how to manage and organize work and personal data
If you work remotely (eg from home via the internet), you need to pay attention to company regulations regarding the sharing of work and personal data. Some companies expressly provide employees with separate devices (eg cell phones and computers) that are used exclusively for work purposes. Meanwhile, other companies allow the use of personal devices for work.
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Step 3. Set a specific time to access and do activities on the internet
If social media is a part of the world of work, you may notice that you spend more than your actual working hours accessing the internet. Logging in to your account multiple times a day or every time a notification pops up can interfere with both your work and personal life.
Take time to 'get out' of cyberspace for a few hours a day. Or, arrange time to communicate and connect with your friends or followers on the internet. When you're done, spend the rest of the day doing things other than accessing your account (this means that you won't be able to access or log into the account again)
Method 4 of 5: Work from Home
Balance Your Professional and Personal Life Step 15 Step 1. Make sure your working hours are regular and awake
It may seem difficult to maintain the same duration or hours of work each day if you work from home, but by managing regular work hours, you can separate the world of work from your home/private life. Choose realistic working hours and stick to them. For example, you may choose to work from 8am to five-thirty, Monday to Friday.
- Don't let your working hours ruin time for yourself. When your working hours are over, stop working, turn off the computer, and leave your workspace.
- Try to set working hours that suit your personal life. For example, try not to work on the weekends if you have things you want to do on the weekends.
Balance Your Professional and Personal Life Step 16 Step 2. Dress like when you are going to work, even when you are working from home
Change your clothes into work clothes in the morning, and casual clothes in the afternoon (after working hours end). Getting out of bed and going straight to work in your pajamas will make it difficult for you to move from your personal life to the world of work. The same goes for work clothes (don't continue to wear work clothes at night, when you've finished work).
- Try to get up about 30 to 60 minutes earlier before you start work so you can get ready for work.
- Make sure you change your work clothes into other clothes when you enter the time to relax. For example, you can change into your work clothes for your favorite pajamas or jeans and t-shirt.
Balance Your Professional and Personal Life Step 17 Step 3. Take a break at lunch
When you're working in an office, it's important to take a lunch break and someone may remind you to take a break. However, when you're working from home, you may have trouble remembering to take breaks and lunch, and you're still tempted to keep working during your break at work. Therefore, remember that a lunch break is something you must do every day.
- Set time for a lunch break each day. For example, you could start your lunch break from 12 to 1:30 PM each day.
- Ask a family member or partner to remind you to take a lunch break. If you're worried about missing your lunch break, ask a friend or family member to let you know when it's time for lunch.
Balance Your Professional and Personal Life Step 18 Step 4. Refrain from doing homework
It may be tempting to do homework while you're taking a break or on the phone, but doing so can break the line between work and home.
- Try to refrain from taking care of homework or anything unrelated to your work during work hours. If you have homework to do, write it down in a notebook (or a small sticker like Post-It) and finish it after your workday is over.
- Keep in mind that everyone is different, of course. For example, if you feel that folding clothes can be a fun way to take a break, do it!
Balance Your Professional and Personal Life Step 19 Step 5. Pamper yourself after work
Finding simple ways to pamper yourself after a hard day's work is an important thing to do. You can pamper yourself by taking a walk around the house, making a cup of tea, chatting with friends, or doing other fun activities that signal that your work is done.
Try to do social activities after work. Working from home can isolate you from the outside world (as well as your friends) so it's important that you find ways to interact with other people. You can do this by chatting with your partner, meeting friends over a cup of coffee, or taking an aerobics class after work
Method 5 of 5: Balancing Parenting with Work
Balance Your Professional and Personal Life Step 20 Step 1. Try to have a more flexible schedule
Working regular working hours is not always suitable for everyone, especially for people who have young children. You may have to get into the habit of finishing one job for 5 to 10 minutes to meet your child's needs or continuing to work at night to complete unfinished work during the day.
- You may also need to work odd hours to balance your personal life and the world of work as a working from home parent. For example, if your young child at home is still awake or active while you are at work, you may need to work an hour or two after the kids go to bed, or after your partner gets home in the afternoon.
- Make sure you ask your boss or client if they mind if you work a more flexible schedule to meet your child's needs. Such flexibility may not be an option if your employer wants you to work certain hours and hours each day. However, if you are a contractor, you may be allowed to work certain times (which you can spare) during the day or night.
Balance Your Professional and Personal Life Step 21 Step 2. Consider hiring or using a babysitter
Asking someone to watch over your child for a few hours each day can be a great way to get your work done without being distracted. If a grandparent or other close family member wants to watch over your child for a few hours each day, it's a good idea to ask them for help (or accept their offer to help you).
- Decide on the option that works best for you and the babysitter. For example, your parents might be able to come over to your house, or you could entrust your kids to play with their grandma a few times a week.
- Using a trusted babysitter can be a good option if you can afford the services of someone to look after the children. If you don't know a trusted babysitter who can work on a specific schedule, try asking your friends or family about a trusted babysitter they might know.
Balance Your Professional and Personal Life Step 22 Step 3. Provide plenty of toys to keep your child entertained while you work
If there's no one around to help supervise your child while you're working during the day, you may need to find other ways to keep your child busy or engage in activities while you wait for you to work. One way you can do this is to provide a toy box with a variety of interesting toys to keep your child busy while you work.
- The toy box contains a variety of toys and activity kits made to keep your child entertained while you work. For example, the box may contain crayons, clay (night candles), coloring books, stickers, jigsaw puzzles, and other toys.
- Prepare a toy box the night before and place it near the workspace. You can use an unused shoe box or other small box, then choose your child's toys and other items to put in the box. You can also include surprises, such as a new coloring book or a new set of stickers.
- You can also create a toy box with a specific theme. For example, if you want to teach your child about colors, you can make a toy box with a collection of red, blue, and other items. Or, you can make a toy box with the theme of your child's favorite movie, book, television show, or character.
Balance Your Professional and Personal Life Step 23 Step 4. Work in the same room as your child
It's a good idea to work in the same room as your child so you can keep an eye on him and provide more entertainment options when necessary. For example, if you work outside the work area or workspace at home, you can provide a play area for children by placing a special rug or play rug, as well as some of your child's favorite toys.
- You also need to learn to talk and play with your child while working. Being able to work and communicate with children at the same time is a skill in itself, but you can develop this skill through practice.
- If you have a backyard with a play area for children, or live near a park with a play area, it's a good idea to bring work to that place while babysitting in the afternoon.
