Maintaining a healthy work-life balance may seem impossible as a business owner, but it is achievable, if not, necessary in running a successful business.
Not carving out time and space to enjoy your personal life, such as spending time with loved ones, exercising, travelling or enjoying your hobbies, can have a negative impact on your stress levels, ability to concentrate, and may even damage your relationships.
Consider the following tips to achieve a better work-life balance:
Delegate
Overcommitting is a surefire way to add unnecessary pressure. Overscheduling your day, saying ‘yes’ to everything, and fearing delegation will see you lose time and efficiency in your business. You cannot perform at your best if you are trying to do too many things at once. Instead, give yourself some flexibility by delegating tasks and outsourcing where possible. This could mean paying an external company to manage your marketing, hiring an office cleaner or asking a staff member to take on a new task such as invoicing, etc.
Lead a healthy lifestyle
Living a healthy lifestyle helps to support your overall wellbeing and equips you with the tools to manage stress and hassles in the workplace more effectively. If you don’t think of yourself as “healthy,” a good starting point is to simply become more aware of your behaviours and coping mechanisms. For instance, you may notice you reach for a sugary drink when feeling overwhelmed or stay back at work late every day to “catch up on jobs.” Identifying these behaviours helps to map out options for dealing with unhelpful coping strategies.
Time management
Setting manageable goals daily helps to prioritise your workload and provides a sense of control over your day. Having control helps to ease associated stress and feel positive towards the work you are doing. Goal-setting is also useful in motivating you to meet your deadlines and eliminating unhelpful behaviours such as procrastination. Achieving your work-related goals also reinforces you to focus on your “personal” goals – therefore, creating more work-life balance.
