The line between work and life can often become blurred, and this can leave us feeling out of balance both professionally and personally. The rise of remote work means many can work wherever they feel comfortable, but this also comes with a higher expectation of accessibility and responsiveness.
More than half of Americans report they have an unhealthy work-life balance, and this commonly comes along with effects like loss of sleep, anxiety, and overall lower performance.
“It’s more important now to draw a line in the sand and make sure we give ourselves the care and setting to succeed,” advises Alexy Goldstein, founder of New U Life. “How to put this into action is an art, and there are proven ways to put yourself in the best possible position to achieve balance.”
Goldstein knows first-hand how much our physical health impacts our mental well-being. His company was built around longevity and promoting whole-body health, and his products aim to offset the detrimental effects of ageing. He knows more than most how important physical health is in order to have a positive work-life balance, as that has been his industry and passion for decades.
Some jobs are more suited towards a healthy work-life balance than others. If your current work isn’t congruent with a healthy lifestyle, then this might be your sign it’s time to start looking for a change.
1. Prioritize Physical Health
So much hinges on our health, but far too often we just do the bare minimum to keep things running. Nutrition and exercise can unlock an entirely new level of productivity for us, but the inverse is also true in that their neglect will leave us sluggish.
“Health far too often is looked at as something to be fixed when there is a problem,” Goldstein says. “But if you make it a consistent priority, you can avoid or offset problems beforehand. Physical health is the cornerstone upon which other priorities can then be built towards.
Without it, you aren’t able to do much good for others or yourself. Having work that’s in the health industry certainly helps, as it gives you more information and a community of like-minded individuals who share similar values.”
One job that helps you find and maintain such a balance would be becoming a distributor for companies like New U Life. It’s location-independent, and by learning about the body-mind connection as part of work, your life off the clock will certainly benefit, as well.
2. Set a Schedule
Schedules are an invaluable tool when trying to build a routine within which healthy habits form. It’s helpful to think of a schedule as the raw bones of your day, which can then be filled in with the variables of how the events unfold.
“Taking control of your schedule is a key step towards healthy work-life balance,” comments Goldstein, “as it gives you clear direction throughout the day. Even if you don’t hit everything 100 per cent, the effort expended in the attempt will get you closer to your goals. Just the act of trying reinforces positive neural pathways and makes it more likely for you to do so again. Setting and following a schedule shows that you value your own and others’ time.”
One job that can be easily scheduled and built around is online teaching, as classes have set start and end times. Also, with these classes being scheduled weeks or months in advance, you can build around these blocks of time a healthy schedule that truly works for you.
3. Know When to Reset
With both work and our personal life, sometimes things can simply stack up faster than we can solve them, even if we are producing at peak efficiency. This creates a feeling of becoming overwhelmed and inept.
While it’s natural to try to power through these stages, sometimes the best move is to step away for a bit to reset. Breaks as short as a few minutes can substantially improve our brain’s ability to learn or problem solve.
“There’s no sense in pushing yourself to or past exhaustion, as it’s not productive for anyone,” explains Goldstein. “Knowing when to pull the plug and reset ultimately saves time. Sometimes stepping away from a problem and looking again with fresh eyes can give clarity. Don’t needlessly suffer and work yourself to the bone; that flies in the face of what finding and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is all about.”
Conclusion
We hope that this post about work-life balance and three proven tips to make it happen has been helpful and that once you implement them, it will bring forth positive change and help you to find the perfect work-life balance in your life.
