Where’s the line? Is it just me, or does work sometimes seem like your life and your life sometimes seems like work? How do you separate the two so that you feel as though you are putting your best foot forward at work while also working to live your life intentionally and purposefully at home?
After surveying some individuals who seem to have it down, I’ve come up with some ideas for you on how to keep your work life and home life separate.
Here’s how to keep your home life out of your work life:
Oftentimes, things at home can distract us at work, keeping us from accomplishing necessary things and often forcing us to bring our work home. Here are a couple of ways to keep your home life organized so that you can thrive in your work life.
1. Keep a family calendar. Whether it’s a synced Google calendar or one that is on a piece of paper on the fridge, write down events and activities you have planned throughout the upcoming month. You can do this with your roommates or your family, depending on your stage of life. This way, you’ll spend less time each day tracking everyone down to see if they’ll be home for dinner and less time checking your text messages to respond to questions about where you are going to be tonight.
2. Plan your weekly meal plan on Sundays. Sometimes I get distracted at work when I realize I still need to figure out what I’m going to make for dinner. Will I have time to stop by the grocery store? Do I have enough time to let something cook before it’s time for bed? By planning out a week of recipes, you can save time and money. Do all of your prepping on Sunday and put everything in the fridge so that each night you can just pop it in the oven or on the stove.
Here’s how to keep your work life away from your home life:
1. Turn off your phone when you get home. Decide when you will be “available” via digital devices and when you won’t. Most jobs require some accessibility in off hours, but constant connectivity ruins personal time. For example, decide not to work Sundays (including being electronically connected) unless there is a major work project or challenge, but make yourself available after the kids have gone to bed and on Saturdays as needed.
2. Get to work early. Studies show that we are most productive in the morning. Get in early and get your work done so you don’t feel like you need to stay at work late.
Here’s how you can meld your work and home life to create balance:
Sometimes, balancing work and home life actually involves finding a way to meld them together. Here are some tips on how to do this well:
1. When you get a bonus or a raise, give your kids a bonus, too. Our CEO Pam Moret said that when she started to get a work bonus, she’d always carve out a small amount and sit the kids down for their “bonus.” The idea was that they needed to understand they’ll have to be patient when mom can’t make a soccer game due to travel or work demands. She’d also explain that because Mom gets a bonus for working hard, they too get a small bonus for their role in helping to support her. She and her family have been doing this since the kids have been in elementary school. It has been a great way to teach about work responsibilities and ethic, compensation, etc.
2. Use your PTO. So often, HR Professionals report that many employees don’t take all of their paid time off. This is too bad because this is a great time to take a break from your work life and spend some time on your home life. At the beginning of the year, create a sketch of how you are going to plan out your PTO for the year so you have something to look forward to, so you can start saving for any vacation or time away, and so you can make sure you use all of the time off you’ve received.
3. Aggressively use your calendar to schedule work and home-life activities and events. Use your calendar to schedule life in a way that “forces” balance. Example: Schedule exercise like an appointment on your calendar so you don’t keep skipping it – treat it with same importance you treat calendar entries you schedule in your work life. Schedule date nights and family dinners the same way.
Written by Kayla Johnson
This blog post is from the Author's perspective and doesn't speak for brightpeak financial. Contact brightpeak if you want to know more about brightpeak products, and keep in mind that they are not available in all states and there are some limitations (some exclusions and restrictions may apply).
