We’ve all been there. The product manager at work sends an email message moving the project deadline up to next week. You’ve just finalized plans with your family for an extended trip to the cottage this weekend.
Or you need to pick up your son from child care at 5:30pm and your team leader walks by your work area to say there’s a team meeting at 5:00pm to talk with the implementation consultants on the west coast.
“With the four hour time difference, it’s more convenient for us to talk at the end of the day, ” she says.
It’s not easy to juggle your work life and your personal life.
While it’s great to have flex time, casual dress days, or be able to work remotely, your personal life and work life often get intertwined. You have to make a decision of what comes first.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to be responsible for setting the boundaries in your life.
You don’t need to make major changes, but taking small steps can change your perspective, and help you reach a work life balance that works for you.
Thanks to my friend Michelle Schulp, who attended the Designers Roundtable conference in Nashville last weekend, here’s 30 useful work life balance tips she tweeted during the conference.
1) Exercise, stay active to take your mind off it #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
2) Work from different locations to mix it up #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
3) Be clear about your office hours & stick to them to manage expectations #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
4) Take control of your schedule, and stick to it #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
5) Write down and revisit your goals often #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
6) If personal issues interrupt work (or vice versa) Write it down then come back to it later #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
7) Have a ritual to start/end your work day #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
8) Allow your process to be flexible and evolve #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
9) Give yourself a break, nobody's perfect, it will be ok #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
10) Remember clients are people too. Be honest with communications, deadlines, etc. #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
11) Plan for personal time and put it on the calendar (outings, dates, home things, breaks) #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
12) Make time to work on your business and treat yourself as your best client (don't be cobbler with no shoes) #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
13) Meditate or reflect in silence daily, even a minute a day #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
14) Trial and error is ok, give yourself 30 days on a new process/tool and love it or move on #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
15 & 16) Make your to-do list before you start your day, and practice time blocking based on list & goals #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
17) Find your natural rhythm to your routine, find when you are most productive & embrace it #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
18) Don't confuse being busy with being productive #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
19) There are set tasks, work, & unplanned tasks, only half your unscheduled time is available for work. #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
20) Plan your schedule around the things that are important to you and commit to it #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
21) Be your own version of success. Don't let fear of failure stop you & don't compare yourself to others #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
22) If you have something you don't want to do, try Pomodoro or similar technique to try to start that groove #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
23) You can minimize distractions but also make time for randomness & fun #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
24) Set inspirational reminders/affirmations as well as just schedules, to help feel good or do good things #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
25) Designated office space, whether that's in home or outside. Either way: Give yourself separate mind space. #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
26) Don't be chained to your desk, be flexible. Coffee shop, backyard, library, change can help creativity #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
27) Keep your to-do list short. 3-4 things only. #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
28) You can schedule Do Not Disturb on your phone to help set boundaries (it can have exceptions for personal) #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
29) Not only keep business stuff out of personal times, but keep your personal stuff out of business times #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
30) Need an extreme work/life hack/intervention? Keep a phone bin, surrender them during personal time #worklifebalance #designersRT
— Michelle Schulp 💯🦄 (@marktimemedia) June 26, 2015
Thank you, Michelle, for sharing the tips from the roundtable.
What suggestions do you have for finding work life balance? What’s worked best for you?
