Balancing your personal life and your work can be challenging for some, especially in the always-on world of PR. There will always be a situation that warrants a rapid response, a reporter to pitch or a strategic plan to assemble. While the PR world is exciting and ever-changing, it also seeps into our personal life and can make establishing boundaries extremely difficult. If you’re struggling to separate work from your personal life, here are a few ways to help step away from your desk and return to the office refreshed.
Stay organized.
While it may seem counterintuitive to add a little work time into your weekend, taking the time to organize for the week ahead can make all the difference for achieving a healthy work-life balance. Taking less than 30 minutes on a Sunday afternoon to think through your top priorities and getting organized for the week ahead can make all the difference.
Wake up early.
Waking up early can be tough, but make it a daily habit. Take an extra hour in the morning to do something for yourself before you plunge into your daily routine. For some, it might be meditating, reading or watching the news. For others, it might be getting a head start on laundry or cooking a healthy breakfast. Whatever you choose to do, do it for yourself. This will help start the day off right.
Exercise.
Experts agree that increasing physical activity has a multitude of benefits for health and stress management. Not a fan of the gym? That’s fine. Find a new physical outlet that gets your heart racing such as boxing, yoga or cycling. Life and work will both reap immediate benefits of physical activity in the form of stress relief, endorphin release and increased functional capacity.
Don’t be afraid to take breaks.
Lunch breaks were created for a reason. Take advantage of this time to pencil in an activity to rejuvenate and get ready to tackle the second half of the day. For instance, many Dittoe PR employees enjoy using this hour to go to the gym, run errands or take their dog for a walk. Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to take the time to treat yourself.
Disconnect.
Balancing work life and home life is not always simple, especially when getting pinged by email notifications day-in and day-out. Try putting your phone away while with friends, family or significant others to make it a little easier to avoid the distractions. This will help emphasize the importance of relationships with loved ones but also allow you to stay more focused at work by not dwelling on missed plans or quality time.
Establish a no-work zone.
Another way to disconnect is to establish a work-free zone. As someone who is newly married with a husband who also works around the clock, work-free zones have been a perfect solution to ensure we’re not working all evening and to focus on each other. A work-free zone bans you from checking email, taking business phone calls and doing office work on the computer. By setting up a safe haven, you have a dedicated time and space for connecting with your loved ones and escaping the demands of work.
Don’t compromise on sleep.
Most people fail to realize the importance of sleep. Instead of treating it as a luxury, make it a necessity by establishing a sleep schedule. This will help produce a healthy body and make it easier to be more productive at the office, allowing you the ability to (hopefully) leave on time.
Communicate when workload is excessive.
A work-life balance can fall to pieces simply because an increased workload. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, take a moment to communicate the volume of your workload to teammates or leadership team. Through these conversations, find ways to reduce the impact by extending the deadline or bringing on other teammates to delegate the work.
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