by Jameela Hollingsworth

Work-life balance has recently been a widely discussed topic in many circles.

Sometimes, our jobs demand so much from us, from 12-hour days to taking work home to weekend office hours. This practice causes our health to suffer as we can’t exercise, and relationships (you quickly become known as the friend or girlfriend who is always working) to the point that your friends no longer as you hang out because you always have work to do or when you do go out are constantly glued to your phone. If you are guilty, no worries, we’ve all been there.

I’ve found myself checking emails in church and subconsciously making a to-do list while driving.

Thankfully, I’ve developed a few strategies that help me tackle my work-life balance struggles.

Here are some tips to help you on your pilgrimage:

1. Include downtime, fun time and family time

One of my main downfalls is scheduling only work-related items, but I didn’t allocate time for the gym, binge-watching my favourite series, my significant other, my friends or my Saturday latte at my favourite coffee shop. 

I’ve found scheduling fixed fun activities on your calendar keeps them in the forefront of your mind and helps you feel less guilty about taking the time. You know they are scheduled, and they are important to you.

Failure to practice this can leave you forgetting family functions, birthdays and other important events.

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2. Vacation and Breaks are a must!

Being an energiser bunny constantly every day can be quite draining mentally, physically and spiritually.

I’ve found that taking a small staycation at a local hotel or getting out of the country and unplugging for a couple of days leaves me feeling like a gladiator upon my return to work and my business. Something about vacation and relaxing helps to get those creative juices flowing. 

3. Say No!

I’m constantly preaching the power of saying “No” because the truth is, if it is not scheduled, you may not have time for it.

Trying to overpack your schedule will defeat the whole purpose of this exercise; you will still be exhausted from fitting it all in. You must become highly selective in your tasks and be extremely prudent in managing your time.

4. Restructure Your To-Do List

Make your list practical with about ten daily items and assign 8-10 hours for hardcore work. Research has shown that performing tasks in time blocks is extremely effective and boosts productivity. There are several applications which you can use to assist you in achieving a narrowed focus for a specific period, such as Pomodoro, which sets the time slots for the user with intermittent breaks.

I’ve personally experienced a higher level of output by using this system.  Completing a to-do list requires you to push yourself to complete these tasks so they don’t roll over into the next day. Rolling over items or procrastination can leave you feeling overwhelmed.

Achieving optimal work-life balance is always a work in progress but can be achieved with the proper management of time, adequate breaks and the management of last-minute tasks.

Your life doesn’t revolve around work; work should revolve around your life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jameela Hollingsworth is the owner of the HR Boss a Caribbean millennial career consultancy with readership in over 27 countries. The HR Boss was founded with the mission of helping Caribbean millennials kick butt and take names and be the Boss they were destined to be. The HR Boss is currently on its regional Career Tour with seminars being held in Barbados, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.

Jameela is a qualified HR practitioner with over 6 years of experience in Jamaica, Barbados and St. Lucia. Currently, she serves as the HR Business Partner for a regional group of companies. 

When Jameela isn't being the boss she was destined to be, she spends her free time traveling with the important people in her life and being Olivia Pope.