HOW TO: Develop a Healthy Work-Life Balance

In my journey through entrepreneurship and motherhood so far, finding a healthy work life balance has been a struggle. Recently I have been working on setting boundries and limitations in my work and family life. These things have helped tremendously not only in my own mental health but as well as my productivity and I'm going to share exactly how. The most important thing is finding what works for your role and lifestyle and that you fully shut off once you “clock out” for the day.

Avoid looking at screens right when you wake up.

Try to intentionally enjoy your morning. It takes no thought to immediately pick up your phone and begin to endlessly scroll through TikTok and check emails, its fun but can become a bad habit. Mornings can be a lot more peaceful if you decide to stay off the phone and do something to ease into the morning. Try making a special drink or reading a few pages of a book before taking on the task of emails and social media.

Change out of your pajamas.

Since the pandemic a lot of us work, school, play and even order groceries from home so the need to change clothes first thing in the morning has seemed to become less important. Making the switch to looking more presentable for yourself will not only will you look more presentable on your Zoom meeting, but you’ll also feel better as well and get more done. This is also beneficial in finding a way to separate work from play because when your work day ends you can get back into your more comfortable sleepwear.

Schedule breaks for yourself during the day.

Working in intervals works! Its called the Pomodoro Technique which is working on your tasks into 25 minutes without distraction followed by a 5 minute break and after 4 intervals taking a 20-30 minute break before starting again. This keeps you sane and keeps you alert throughout the day.

Make a daily to-do list and stick to it.

There's power in showing up for yourself. Showing up and doing what you told yourself you'd do builds a good track record with yourself and builds confidence to take on other tasks. Having a smaller todo list to begin with helps you get to know your self and helps you be more mindful in taking on tasks in the future. You'll begin to know how much you can take on and have the confidence to say no if you know you can't handle more on your plate.

Have something to look forward to each night.

My Five minute journal and a good personal development book are the things I look forward to most and if you are taking time to be present in your day to day tasks then the things you can look forward to can be just as simple. Really taking time to appreciate something as your day is coming to an end can help to minimize stress, clear your mind, and ease you to sleep. Whatever evening activity does it for you—could be watching an episode of a good show, indulging in a treat, or taking time to appreciate the quiet —be sure to close your laptop and make time for what makes you happy and fulfills you at the end of the day.