Top 10 tips to achieve a better work-life balance Prioritise: finding a manageable work-life balance is crucial for long-term business success Photo: © Cultura/Lilly Bloom By Hazel Davis 1. Try to draw a line between work and home Even if it means just having an office in the garden, work from a space that you have to make an effort to travel to, just to make the distinction between work and family and the kitchen table and boardroom. 2. Always stop for meals If you’re working from home, have set times when you stop to eat or drink with your family or go home for lunch if you can. This way you and they will know they can see you. Make sure you keep this time sacrosanct and try to switch your phone off. 3. Learn what you can control and what you cant Monica Parker, of workplace consultancy Morgan Lovell, says: “You cant control everything that happens in your life, so try and create processes, scheduling and timekeeping for those aspects you can control. Then release the aspects you can’t control so they dont make you crazy.” 4. Know your rhythm and work to it Are you an owl or a lark? Learn this about yourself so you can tackle tough jobs when you know you are at your most productive. Lovell says: “For example, author Judy Blume always keeps her mornings free as that is her prime writing time.” 5. Make a practice of unplugging You need to build in uninterrupted thinking to your day, away from technology and the expectation of immediate response. “Leave FOMO [fear of missing out] at the bedroom door,” says Parker. “Dont bring your smartphone to bed and try and impose an occasional tech moratorium. Our brains need respite to produce innovative ideas.” 6. Outsource wherever you can Don’t be afraid to relinquish control now and again as it will pay dividends in preserving your sanity. If you can’t delegate business decisions to anyone, use a virtual assistant to take care of some of your everyday admin. 7. Telecommute to cut out travelling time If this is simply not possible and you find yourself with a long commute, quit the train chat and treat this period as strict work time, arriving at the office later or leaving earlier. 8. As a nation we are sleep-deprived “Sleep is like a bank that needs to be replenished,” says Parker. “So if you have a week of all-nighters, find a way to get back to baseline. A 20-minute power nap in the afternoon has a bigger impact on your energy levels than an extra 20 minutes in the morning.” 9. Filter your calls Rory Whelan, voice marketing manager for eReceptionist, says: “Handle your call management package online. A quick update to your call scheduler to match your diary ensures your business is always connected and easily accessible to existing and potential customers even when you can’t be.” 10. Make time for a holiday If you really don’t have time in the early days for long holidays, take regular long weekends instead. Sacrifice the odd Friday or Monday for a mini-break, even if you just spend the days eating ice cream or playing with the kids: anything that gets you away from the coalface. Online resource : telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/business/sme-home/business-tips/10411870/top-tips-better-work-life-balance.html
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 04:42:36 +0000