Achieving a work-life balance can be challenging in this fast-paced, technology-driven world. But it’s especially important for women. We’re often juggling multiple responsibilities at once. If you’re struggling to achieve a healthy balance, you aren’t alone.
Learning how to better manage your time, budget your money, invest in self-care practices, and detach from work will directly affect your success and happiness in life. Here‘s our take on the top 10 work life balance tips for women.
1. Prioritize your health
A healthy lifestyle is essential to coping with stress, feeling good in your body, and achieving your goals. Your overall health should be your highest priority. The best ways to prioritize your health are by focusing on eating healthy food and getting quality sleep.
Meal prepping is a great tool to help you stay on track, especially on busy days. Prepping your food ahead of time makes it easier to stick to healthy foods and keep your body fueled all day long. If meal prepping isn’t your jam, look for a local meal prepping service to do the work for you.
Getting quality sleep is huge when it comes to feeling great and efficient in your day-to-day life. Go to bed around the same time every night, and sleep for eight hours if you can. Creating a bedtime routine will let your body know when it’s time to relax and rest. Take a hot bath, put your phone away, and decompress before bed.
2. Exercise
Exercising will give you more energy and leave you feeling stronger in all areas of your life. Move your body at least three days every week. You don’t have to engage in extreme physical activity or work out for hours every day.
It can be as simple as going for a 20-minute walk or watching a YouTube workout video. Two more effective ways to stay accountable and take the worry out of a gym routine are by hiring a personal trainer or taking group fitness classes.
3. Let go of perfectionism
It can be easy to get caught in the perfectionism trap, especially if you’re an overachiever or a new mom. Life is constantly changing no matter who you are. Adding a member to your family can mean learning to adjust to a new way of life. Letting go of the perfectionism mentality will bring you more peace.
Strive for excellence, not perfection. Get clear about what matters most by writing down your main priorities, whether that’s working hard, doing your best at your job, being a loving mom, or keeping your house clean.
4. Unplug
Living in a technology-driven world can make it challenging to unplug from work and life demands. However, staying plugged in all the time will lead to burnout and keep you from being present in your life.
Practice not picking up your phone first thing in the morning, taking time to enjoy the moment, and being present. At night, put your phone and laptop away in a different room. Let people in your life know when they can and can’t reach you, and be okay with not being available to everyone all the time.
5. Set boundaries
Set boundaries around the things that matter the most and say “no” to the things that matter the least. If a person or activity isn’t serving your future self, give limited time to those activities or remove them from your life altogether.
Ask yourself questions like, “Is this person positively influencing me? How much does this mean to me? What needs to get done first?” Set hours of availability and regulate who you’re available to.
6. Find a job that you love
You don’t have to love every aspect of your job, but your career shouldn’t be draining or make you dread getting up in the morning. We’ve all heard that we should love what we do, and it’s worth listening to because that statement holds a lot of value.
Don’t be afraid to try different jobs and explore various career paths to find the one that you’re most passionate about. Hating your job will ultimately lead to you hating your life.
7. Prioritize self-care
Self-care is vital to being productive and creating a happy life. If your cup is empty, you can’t fill anyone else’s and you’ll constantly feel drained. Create time blocks for self-care and incorporate them into your schedule.
Even if it’s just 10 minutes where you sit outside and admire nature, self-care is necessary. Set bigger blocks on your days off and give yourself a spa day, binge a Netflix show, or go for a hike. It’s okay to be selfish with your time, money, and energy.
8. Create goals
Did you know that you’re 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down regularly? Writing down your goals will help you know what’s urgent and what can be done later. Write goals in the S.M.A.R.T format, meaning you should make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. If you never ask, you might never get that raise or promotion. You’re in charge of your future, so do what it takes to hit your goals and negotiate the salary you deserve.
9. Ask for help
You can’t do everything yourself, but the good news is that you don’t have to either. Asking for help allows you to surround yourself with people who can facilitate your development even further. Getting help from others improves your resilience because it makes you feel supported.
Asking for help might make you feel a little uneasy in the beginning because it can feel like you’re giving up control, but it’s worth it in the long run. Help from the right people can increase your productivity and avoid future burnout. Getting help with your kids, errands, or work duties doesn’t make you needy or incapable. It makes you human.
10. Use the compound effect
The compound effect is the concept of reaping big rewards from a series of small actions and smart choices that you do daily. Small consistent action over a long period of time will provide greater payoffs than intense short-term changes. Focus on getting 1% better every single day!
Trying to get everything done, take care of yourself, and excel in your career can be a big feat. Add on the responsibility of being a mother or a wife, and day-to-day life can get even more overwhelming. Use the compound effect to take the stress off and celebrate your small wins!
Don’t neglect your finances
As you’re finding balance in your life, remember to give yourself grace. Get after your goals while allowing yourself to rest and unplug.
As you find ways to juggle everything in your life, don’t let managing your money add more stress to you and your family. Take the time to learn, research, and share valuable financial information.
Whether it’s by cutting down on your spending or finding ways to bring in extra cash, developing a better relationship with your finances will ultimately have a positive impact on all other aspects of your life.
