7 Work Life Balance Tips And Techniques (with Quotes)

By Reid - May 18, 2021

Work-Life Balance Quotes

Is there an imbalance of work in your life (or life in your work)? If you're searching for an effective way to develop a proper Work-Life Balance, we can help!

Continue reading for the best work-life balance quotes, descriptions, and techniques to help you achieve a better balance within your life.

Questions Answered

Work-life balance quotes
How to improve and achieve an excellent work-life balance
What’s the importance of a good work-life balance
Work-life balance definition
Good work-life balance jobs

How important is a good work-life balance to you? Because "I'll have a life when I retire” isn’t the answer.

If you're reading this, there's likely an imbalance of work in your life, and you're searching for a convenient and effective technique to balance it out.

Work-life balance involves juggling a stressful workplace and the daily pressures of keeping your family, friends, and yourself happy.

Without a solid work-life balance, you can feel down, and work can pile up, negatively impacting… everything.

Lucky for us, the process of achieving this balancing act is not difficult to do.

Here are 7 Tips to Achieve a Healthy Work-Life Balance

1. Create Goals

Create long-term and short-term goals to fill up your life (in a good way). When you define these goals, you better understand what it takes to get them done. In other words, you know exactly what's essential.

These goals could include running three times a week, working on your side project 2 hours in the morning during the week, or booking a vacation to a warm destination during the winter months.

Don't focus on one aspect of your life. Work, family, home, health, relationships, etc., should be included in these goals.

Many people only focus on work-related goals, which misses the point.

Keep these goals clear and concise so there's always something to fall back on when your daily schedule books up.

Action Steps: Write down at least one long-term and one short-term goal to focus on over the next month. Make sure it's measurable.

2. Write Things Down

Sticky notes and an app on my phone called Evernote keep my schedule and to-do list running smoothly. It's one of the most effective methods I've come across.

Visually seeing your activities in one or two places helps you stay on task and reduces the chance of your schedule becoming cluttered.

Include all your holidays, work events, family events, and other commitments. Stick to it for a few weeks, and it will become a daily part of your life.

Investing in a planner or a preferred planning app is a no-brainer.

Action Steps: Purchase a planner or a planning app like Evernote. Plan your schedule and set reminders to stay on task.

3. General Time Management

We all have 24 hours a day, and one of the biggest struggles is fitting into work and life within that time frame.

Wake up early. Make that grocery run brief. Do your most important task at the start of the day.

Dedicate time to your priorities if you truly want to accomplish them. Start with what's most essential and work your way down from there.

Don't forget to make time for hobbies, relationships, and activities outside work. We aren't just referencing setting time aside for work-related activities.

Look to multitask by overlapping activities, but don't burn yourself out. Maybe your hobby can be shared with family members?

Action Steps: Plan what you are going to be doing and make time for things that are important to you. Yes, you can be a little selfish too.

4. Me Time

Some quality time for yourself can relieve stress from a terrible workweek. If an empty time slot opens up after work, it doesn't mean you need to fill it with chores or say yes to meeting co-workers for a beer. Turn things down.

When we have an opening, it's only natural that we feel obligated to use it to get things done.

Instead of waiting for an opening, block off "me time" before the week starts.

Make time on the weekends to avoid your phone, tv, or computer. Try something physical or creative to refresh your body.

Utilizing your PTO and vacation time to get away may not seem like much, but taking just a day or two can make a big difference. While staying at least a little connected is often necessary, ensure you proactively set some boundaries when on your vacations.

Action Steps: Turning things/people down is perfectly acceptable. You are taking time for yourself. Be selfish and do what YOU want to do. You deserve it!

5. Be Social (Not Online)

We are social beings, and whether it's at work or home, we need others to stay happy (for the most part).

Set a time to meet up with a friend or significant other for the weekend. You'll have something to look forward to and relieve some stress if the work week doesn't start as planned.

Many people incorporate social activities throughout the day.

Another option is to set up a recurring club or meeting with people you enjoy spending time with, such as a book club or a whiskey-sampling group…the possibilities are endless!

Action Steps: Schedule something today. Is there someone you care about that you haven't seen or talked to in a while? Give them a call (yes, a call) to see how they are doing. You will both get something out of it!

6. Manage Your Workload

We all have 24 hours in a day. How can we best manage that with the massive workloads we typically hold?

Schedule your workload at the beginning of the week and take it day by day. Make the most of your time on that particular day (8 hours) and leave the rest for the next day.

Make a plan for when you WILL (not want) to leave every day. Understand what needs to be done within those hours and work hard to achieve that. We always schedule 30 minutes at the end of the day to make any last-minute updates or changes needed.

Start with what's most essential and NEEDS to get done, then work your way through the rest.

Step away from your workload and clear your head during breaks. It's important!

Action Steps: Schedule your workload the day before, if possible. Also, look into tools or things that can help you complete this workload more efficiently.

7. Family Time

Work-life balance is a team effort. You, your significant other, and your family contribute to how well your life in and outside of work plays out.

If you're spending too much time at work and not with your family, this will negatively affect everything.

You will miss the valuable time you won't be able to get back with your family, and your job will start to dip because you know your home life is lacking.

Number 1 is your family, so balancing work and home is vital.

Action Steps: Ask for flexible work hours. If you're an employee, talk with your boss about how working from home can boost your productivity. You can spend more time with family and get work done simultaneously.

Related:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Work-Life Balance Quotes

Here's a list of our favorite work-life balance quotes. Hopefully, they can help define what your daily work life should look like.

"You have to balance your passions, not your time." - Lisa Sugar
"Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life." - Dolly Parton
"You don't have to make yourself miserable to be successful." - Andrew Wilkinson
"I've learned that you can't have everything and do everything at the same time." - Oprah Winfrey
"Most people chase success at work, thinking that will make them happy. The truth is that happiness at work will make you successful." - Alexander Kjerulf
"Don't confuse having a career with having a life." - Hillary Clinton

Work-Life Balance Definition

Work–life balance is a term commonly used to describe the balance that an individual working needs between time allocated for work and other aspects of life.

Areas of life other than work can include personal interests, family, and social or leisure activities. - Wikipedia.org

What are the benefits of Work-Life Balance?

Work-Life Balance is an essential part of maintaining a healthy and fulfilling life. Some benefits of being adequately balanced include:

Increased productivity
Less stressed
Improved overall quality of health
More “Me” time
Overall personal growth

What are the best Work-Life Balance Jobs?

Web Developer
Marketing Coordinator
Substitute Teacher
UX Designer
Corporate Recruiter
Marketing Analyst
Maintenance and Repair Worker
Sales Manager
Dental Hygienist

“According to a Harvard Business School survey, 94% of service professionals put in 50+ hours a week. And while some people claim long hours are necessary, study after study shows that when we lose work life balance, everyone suffers the consequences.”

— Harvard Business Review

Wrapping Up | Work-Life Balance

While "having it all" is tough to do, balancing your work and life to have a joyful, fulfilling life is quite doable. These tips can't guarantee a work-life balance, but they will guide you in the right direction.

Create Goals to Work Towards
Write Everything Down
Manage Your Daily Workload
Do Things for Yourself
Be Social (Not Online)
Have Quality Family Time

To prevent an imbalance in your work and life, do your homework before accepting a new job.

Ask the hiring manager and others within the office how the work-life balance plays out in this company. If you get conflicting answers or a simple "not much," rethink accepting any offers. Test and experiment with what fits your lifestyle to see what works best for you!

You got this! Good luck out there!

Title: 7 Ways to Achieve a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Category: theGuidance

Tags: Work Life Balance, Importance of work life balance, Work life balance definition, Work life balance quotes, Jobs with the best work life balance, benefits of work life balance, work life balance quotes

Author: Reid is a contributor for theJub. He's an employment and marketing enthusiast who studied business before taking on various recruiting, management, and marketing roles. More from the author. | Author Profile