Working Women: 5 Tips to Achieve a Better Work-Life Balance
Posted by Soribel Martínez, LCSW
Striking a healthy work-life balance is crucial. Workplace stress is one of the biggest problems our country faces, and it’s often fueled by the fact that employees feel overworked and burnt out.
That’s especially true for women who might feel underappreciated at work or feel as though they have to work “twice as hard” to earn respect. If you’re a woman who works all day and has to take care of important things at home, too, it’s easy to burn out quickly.
Taking time for yourself and finding a better work-life balance will reduce your stress levels. In turn, that can help with anxiety, depression, and burnout. You’ll have more time to do the things you enjoy with the people you love.
So, how can you achieve a better work-life balance? Let’s cover a few tips.
1. Manage Your Time Wisely
Think about the things you truly value. How do you want to spend your time? You might be required to work certain hours of the day, but how do you manage your time beyond that?
Do you frequently say “yes” to overtime? Do you take on extra projects when you know they will eat up your time? When you’re home, do you find yourself wasting time with mindless activities like scrolling through social media?
When you consider the things that matter to you, you can dedicate more of your time to those things, and you’ll end up making the most of every second.
2. Learn the Art of “No”
In order to manage your time effectively at work and home, learn how to say “no” to people. That could mean turning down a big project at work. It could also mean saying “no” to going out with a friend because you really need a night of self-care.
It’s easy to feel pressured into things. Some people have a harder time turning things down than others. But, by committing to saying “no” more often, you’re less likely to feel stretched too thin.
3. Leave Your Work at the Door
Americans are notorious for bringing work home with them. Even if you’re not physically bringing anything along, you might have trouble detaching yourself from work at the end of the day.
Maybe you’re thinking about an upcoming deadline or project. Maybe a particular client or customer is weighing on your mind. Whatever the case, make a commitment to leaving your work at the door when you get home. It will take time and practice, but it will allow you to be fully present when you’re off the clock.
4. Do What You Love
When you have time to yourself, fill it with things you actually enjoy doing. If you’d rather stay in than go out, that’s not a waste of your time. It’s a way to recharge. Alternatively, if you want to do something exciting and fun, don’t second guess yourself and end up staying home.
Making the most of your time is about filling it with the things you really want to do. By taking more time to do what you love, you’ll feel like your life is more balanced.
5. Take Care of Yourself
Self-care is more than just a buzzword. It’s something that is absolutely necessary for you to strike a healthy work-life balance. It also doesn’t have to be something extreme or something that takes a lot of time and money.
Self-care can include journaling, meditating, exercising, or cooking your favorite meal. Anything that helps you “recharge” your batteries and find a sense of contentment is exactly what you should aim for everyday. When you take care of yourself, you’re less likely to burn out over your schedule.
As a working woman, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed at times. If you have a full-time job and a family at home, you might feel like there’s no way to achieve a healthy work-life balance. But that isn’t true. Keep these tips in mind to strike that balance and avoid burning out.
