When people ask what I do for a living, they are shocked to find out that I work full-time, do marketing on the side, and started my own magazine company.
My most frequently asked question is “how do you do it all?”
My answer? It takes a lot of time to build habits that allow you to create that division between work and living life.
Here are 7 habits that help me create work-life balance all while doing it all.
1. Prioritize your daily tasks
This one might come off as a no-brainer, but staying organized can help with increasing productivity and allows you to get what you need to be accomplished accordingly to your schedule. I’m a firm believer that minimizing your to-do list to only crucial items to get done for the day, allows you to check them off easier and makes time for other things you’d like to get done outside of work.
If you are struggling with staying organized and on top of things, I would suggest finding a project management platform that works for you!
Out of all that I’ve tried, I absolutely love Asana as my main platform, but for clients, I tend to use ClickUp and Trello without any issues!
2. Keep distractions to a minimum
It’s easy to use distractions like being on your phone aka spiraling down a rabbit hole of TikTok videos and Reels that suck a ton of time out of your day where you could’ve gotten your work done early or just did something for yourself.
One thing that I’ve been trying to do more of is putting my phone in the other room. There’s something about eliminating it from your reach that allows you to not think about it as much and gets you back on track.
3. Get outside
Something that tends to happen during the work day, especially if you are stuck in meetings all day is taking time to get outside. It’s essential for your mental health to take breaks and get some sunshine.
If you struggle with actually getting outside due to work, try time blocking! This will not only allow you to get your work done but make time to clear your head to recharge.
If you feel like you might not have enough time some days to get a walk-in, then consider doing other things like just taking your lunch break outside! Nothing is better than stepping away from your desk and having a picnic-type lunch to enjoy away from your computer!
4. Stop trying to do it all
One of the fastest ways to get tangled into a creative rut and burnout is trying to do all of it, right away. When you get into the entrepreneurial space, everyone will try to convince you that you need to do XYZ in order to grow as fast as possible. I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to do anything that doesn’t make sense for your products or services.
My biggest advice for getting started is to consider picking one social media (most people create a business account on Instagram) and design a simplified website. I promise you that focusing on building your community and valuable content will get you a lot further than overexerting yourself!
5. Say no to things that don’t light you up
If you are a people pleaser, this might be a bit difficult. One thing I’ve learned as someone who hates letting others down is that you can’t say yes to everything.
There have been times when I was drowning in work, and just didn’t have the heart to say no to something that in the end wasn’t worth my time. Make sure to consider that not every opportunity is worth taking, especially if it’s not something you are passionate about.
6. Plan your schedule two weeks in advance
When you work a lot, it’s easy to forget about prioritizing your health. Two things that I love doing are planning my workout classes and meals two weeks in advance.
It not only helps with keeping me accountable for my health goals, but it’s just one less thing I have to remember to do when I’m super busy!
For my studio classes, I’ve created a routine where I go the same days every week (4 times a week) and for meals at our house we prep at least two meals on Sunday and then eat leftovers till Friday!
From there we either have some fun foods in the freezer or treat ourselves to some drinks and meals at a local favorite.
Read this next: Finding your work-life balance style based on whether you’re a separatist or an integrator.
7. No more late nights and working on weekends
Create boundaries that don’t allow for working late at night (unless that’s your prime time) or on weekends. You need time to spend with your family or just doing things you enjoy OUTSIDE of work.
If you feel like you have too much on your plate to not work, then that’s where I might redirect you to my first tip about prioritizing your tasks in order to accomplish what needs to get done during the day.
When creating a habit, it can take almost 30 days to actually follow through. Being someone who likes to juggle lots of work has to have the skills to organize, prioritize, and know when to take a break in order to fully have a work-life balance. Just remember, you should be working to live the life you want, not living to just work yourself into the ground.
What tips would you add for finding more work-life balance?