The number one request we hear from candidates, employees and clients is that they are looking for work-life balance.  While the employer can definitely play into this balance that everyone is looking for, individuals have much more control than they think.  Here are four tips on creating your own work-life balance:

1. Plan your day so you can be the most productive at work.
   • If you can be efficient with your time at the office, you may find that you don’t need to constantly stay late and clock time on the weekend. Invest in a daily planner and spend 5 to 10 minutes at the end of each day planning out your next day.
   • Try to plan your day in 30 minute increments, leaving room for the “unknowns” that come up throughout the day. By planning your day the night before, you know exactly what you have on your agenda when you come into the office the next morning.  Plus, if you don’t stick to your agenda, you will find yourself avoiding getting off-topic in your meetings, getting lost in your email, or spending too much time on social media.
2. Take advantage of break times at the office to get some exercise and get your blood flowing.
   • Try to stop every hour and move for just 5 minutes – do some desk push-ups, squats, or jumping-jacks, just enough of something to get your heart-rate up.
   • Take a longer break and walk around the office with your co-workers or enjoy the nice weather outdoors. You may also suggest to your employer that they invest in a treadmill desk.  If you work in a remote or hosted environment, you can easily disconnect from your station and log into the station at the treadmill desk to get in a solid 30 minutes of walking while responding to emails.
3. Limit your screen-time.
   • Most of us that work in an office setting are staring at a computer screen all day. Lots of parents will limit their kids’ screen-time, but why aren’t adults limiting their own?  During your break times at the office and when you get home, limit yourself to a set amount of screen-time.  Your eyes and brain need a rest from all things digital – go outside, cook a nice dinner, read a book…play a board game!
4. Unplug from work when you’re at home and focus on work when you’re at work.
   • Be present at work and be present at home. This is not to say that you will never bring work home or you will never need to handle personal matters at the office – you may have deadlines to meet that require working at home or taking time out for a personal appointment that can only be handled during office hours.  But when possible, focus on your work tasks and sticking to your schedule while you’re working, so that when you get home, you can focus on your family and your personal time.  Unplug from the work emails, even leave your phone in another room if you must.  Make it a point to be involved in the conversations of the evening and spend quality time with your friends and family to make the absolute most of that time.

Creating work-life balance is up to you and will help you maintain a sense of accomplishment in your work life and in your personal life.

Amelia Reynolds, Director of Client Operations