It’s difficult to find a work-life balance, but it’s important to keep them separate. It is just as important to have set personal time as at is to have set work hours. If you’re struggling to find time away from work, check out this website to find more clients quickly or ask your boss for more flexible shifts. If you’re not sure what you should be doing in you spare time, here are a few things you should be doing after work.
Unplug from Work
Unless you’re being paid to be constantly on call, turn off your work phone. If you get calls, texts, and emails from the company you work for on your personal mobile, then don’t look at it. Your workday ends the minute you step out of the office, and it’s time to start acting like it. Doing this will improve your work-life balance.
If you’re self-employed, it’s okay to work hard, but set yourself some boundaries and define your work hours. When those work hours are over, use that time to do things you enjoy. Don’t let your work take over your life.
Look After Your Health
Between everything you have to do at work and at home, it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself. Your health is important, so it’s time you started looking after yourself.
If you work relatively close to home, walk there and back instead of taking the car. The walk home will give you time to wind down before you get home. Work can be stressful, but you should try to leave work at the door so it doesn’t affect your home life. If you work from home, try to make your workstation more ergonomic to prevent muscle aches and pains. Places like Spectrum Healthcare sell ergonomic desk chairs that make sitting for long periods of time more comfortable.
Instead of getting a sandwich and soda from the corner shop near the office, prepare something healthier and don’t forget to fill up a water bottle in the evening so you can quickly grab it in the morning. You should also be drinking plenty of water in the evening too.
It can be difficult to getting to sleep as soon as you get into bed, so go to bed earlier than you normally would so you can relax before going to sleep. Getting a good night’s rest can help you prepare for the day ahead and is also good for your mental health.
Get Comfortable
Some workplaces are adopting a less formal dress code, so you may not have to wear a suit to the office, but do you really want to spend the rest of your day in the same outfit you’ve been wearing all day in a stuffy office or on a job site?
If you wouldn’t normally put on your workwear to lounge around the house, then get changed as soon as you get home. It doesn’t matter if you swap into a t-shirt and jeans or pyjamas and bunny slippers. You’ll find it’s easier to relax after a long day of work when you’re comfortable.
Do Family Activities
I think we can all agree that it’s hard find the time to spend with our families, but it’s important that you do. Find something you can all enjoy, even if it’s having a family dinner with the in-laws once a week. You can alternate who cooks and agree to only cook simple meals, so you won’t be stuck doing it each time and it won’t take long to cook when you do have to.
Work can detract from our home lives, and even something as simple as taking your kids out for ice cream on a Friday after school, watching a movie together, or having a family games night can bring a family closer together.
Have Date Nights
There is more to life than coming home and doing housework with your spouse. Regular date nights will give you the chance to reconnect with your partner and remind you of why you enjoy spending time with them. Promise each other you won’t talk about work—only the things that interest you both so you can learn more about each other. You don’t have to do anything complicated or elaborate. Just get out of the house and enjoy each other’s company. If you have kids, hire a babysitter or ask a family member to look after them for a few hours.
Image Credits: Andrea Piacquadio
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