One thing I have been super conscious of lately is maintaining a good work-life balance. I don’t want to let capitalism win; I don’t want work to take over my life. The last thing I want is to come home on a Monday night too exhausted to actually enjoy my time, only to crash in bed and wake up for another workday. Basically, I don’t want my life to be a cycle of sleep, wake up, eat, work, eat, home, sleep, repeat
So, here are 3 of my non-negotiables that help me achieve a better work-life balance. By the way, I’m not saying this is the best approach, but it’s working better than what I used to do—or what I could easily do, which is nothing at all.
I automatically turn off my work notifications at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and completely on weekends.
Thank God for technology. I can put my messages, emails, and everything else on “Do Not Disturb.” Honestly, this is a game-changer for me because it frees me from issues that arise outside my work hours. You messaged me at 5 p.m.? Sorry, I didn’t see it. There was an emergency after I left? gosh what a shame, I saw your message the next day. But in all seriousness, I believe that I should work during the hours I’m paid for, and any time outside of that is just a bit too much.
I don’t talk to my coworkers outside of working hours.
Now, this might sound a bit extreme, but it works for me. I think it’s amazing when other colleagues hang out and see each other outside of work, but I’m a big talker. I talk a lot with people I’m comfortable with, so I keep my work relationships strictly at work to avoid oversharing. Otherwise, they’d really know what I think—which is something I might write about in a future post, so watch this space.
I try out new hobbies.
I’m a hobbyist by nature. One thing I do is pick up new hobbies, but I’ve noticed that when I share my hobbies with others, I sometimes lose a bit of passion for them. Nonetheless, I love trying out new activities. I recently got into tennis, and I still enjoy it, but I’m struggling to find someone to play with consistently. I’m also not quite ready to commit to paying for a club membership yet. Anyway, trying out new hobbies allows me to step out of my comfort zone and feel refreshed outside of the work environment.
What is a Non-Negotiable you have for a better Work-Life Balance and why?
See you same time, next week?
– Ebi💖
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I agree with maintaining your boundaries between work and personal. Something I recently started doing is utilizing all my vacation days and personal days before the year is finished. In prior jobs, I used to let my vacation roll over and then take huge chunks of time off.
Great point! so far what I have done is take time off when I have something to do as opposed to just taking time off to relax, then I take a chunk of time off which I feel has been helpful? but I don’t know , I may have to try this as well. Thanks!