People who keep journals have life twice.~Jessamyn West
A few weeks ago I was talking to a friend who said she wanted to keep a journal. She’d read that all successful people have that in common. Later on that day I saw an Internet meme that said exactly that. Afterward I realized how many people in my 30 Day Challenge group have wanted to write every day as their challenge.
On and off since I was about fourteen, I’ve been keeping a journal. But it wasn’t until about a year and a half ago I started writing consistently — three pages, every day.
I’ve noticed that not only has my writing improved, but I have way less anxiety and my depression has become a lot less pronounced. It’s become part of my routine for self-care.
Many people struggle to keep a journal and write habitually, but it is pretty simple once you have the hang of it. I’ve found that remembering a few things can help you get into writing every day and I want to share them so you can reap the benefits of journaling.
1. Choose Your Weapons Carefully
When I started knitting, there were a bunch of people who said “Life’s too short to knit with cheap yarn.” I thought that was a little silly. Who cares? Well, it turns out I did. If you’re going to be doing something every day, you need to love your tools.
Your tools, of course, are your journal and your pen. For me, a beautiful journal is a luxury. I have no problem writing in a basic notebook. It’s where I got the notebook that matters. I like to buy them when I travel.
It’s a souvenir that keeps on giving. I can look at it later and be reminded of my trip or read it and be reminded of another time. My friends also love this because they can give me a journal as a gift and know I’ll use it.
Head to your local bookstore and spend some time looking through the journal section. Do you want spiral bound? Do you prefer smaller pages? Thick journals that will last for months? You may want to buy journals with gold-foil lined pages.
Indulge yourself. You don’t have to buy expensive ones. If you have a store like Ross or T.J. Maxx around, they often have journals for super-reasonable prices. Or just grab a standard notebook.
Where I indulge myself in writing is my pen. One of my favorite things to do is visit the local office supply store and stand in the pen aisle. Oh the possibilities! The different color inks. The feel of a pen in your hand.
I don’t buy cheap ones. I get pens with nice ink gel that roll smoothly across the paper. For me, that makes writing a joy. And they’re refillable so I feel like I’m doing the environment a favor.
I don’t really include electronic tools in this, mostly because I’ve found journaling on the computer to feel more like work and less like the creative catharsis it’s supposed to be. If you’re more inclined to write by typing, feel free!
Do what works for you. Just make sure you use the word processing tools you like, and turn off your spell check! Journaling is about getting things on paper, so to speak, not perfection.
Remember that your tools are what you’ll come back to day after day. Experiment until you find what resonates with you. Also keep extras around so you don’t have to stop writing if you run out of ink or paper. Have fun with this process, and it’ll be an easy habit to cultivate.
2. Learn the Art of Free Writing
When I was 12 years old, I spent a week taking creative writing classes with my cousin. The teacher had us write every morning for 15 minutes without taking our pens off the paper — without stopping.
It was weird writing things like “I don’t know what to put here …” or “I’m bored and wish I had a sandwich,” but after a while it opened up a window into my brain that was often untapped.
Things that I wanted to write but didn’t feel comfortable sharing, even with myself, would suddenly spill onto the paper. Sometimes I wouldn’t even realize what I wrote until I went back later and read it.
Free writing is the easiest way to start journaling because you fill up pages, and it gets your creative juices flowing without any real pressure. There were days when I literally would write the same sentence over and over again. It’s about putting your pen to paper and getting the words out. That is all.
3. Set a Goal — Set a Time — Honor Both
I remember once an artist I worked with asked me for a deadline. He told me nothing gets done without one. When I finally cultivated a daily habit of journaling, it was when I told myself that I’d write three pages every day after breakfast. I created an expectation and a deadline.
Of course, the amount I wrote would change depending on the size of my journal, and the time I put pen to paper would change, depending on what time breakfast finished, but it became easier and more of a habit every day.
You might be more interested in journaling on your lunch break or before bed. Perhaps you only want to fill two pages or maybe you’re shooting for five. The details aren’t as important as standing by your choice.
One thing I worried about was when we went camping or on vacation that I wouldn’t have time to write. I found that if I just pulled out my journal after breakfast, everyone else would follow suit and take a few minutes to relax, whether it was reading or chatting with others over coffee. I saw that by honoring my habit, other people honored it too.
Parting Words
There is no right or wrong when it comes to keeping a journal.
You can draw
Write up and down
Pen poetry
Fill up the page with random words
I used to worry about spelling things wrong and even corrected my punctuation as I wrote, but it slowed me down and I found I was actually censoring myself. Enjoy letting your thoughts flow simply and without judgment.
So many people think they need to be a writer to keep a journal — don’t believe this myth! Writing is something everyone can and should do. It’s like exercise. You may not be an Olympic athlete, but that doesn’t mean your body should rot on the couch all day.
So take the first step: Grab a journal and pen and write down your thoughts. You may not be writing the next great novel, but you’re taking care of one of your greatest gifts — your mind.
Is it really possible to get 100% of your work done faster and with better efficiency? Can you really finish your work around noon time when others are grabbing their next cup of coffee but you’re already shutting down your computer and enjoying the rest of your day?
In short, the answer is yes. You can get it all done and work faster if you want to. This is exactly what you are going to discover in this article.
There is no doubt that we all have only 24 hours a day, but if you can work faster and get things done quickly, you will have more time for other stuff in your life.
So here are the 7 techniques how you can deliver your work faster, with better efficiency, and without suffering the quality of your work:
No matter what kind of task you do, you need to allocate a time frame or a deadline for it.
If you don’t allocate a time frame, guess what will happen, you will take as long as possible to get the work done.
For example, if you need to write a report today, don’t leave the task open-ended without a time frame. Include a deadline for when you need to get the report done, say by 2 PM in the afternoon.
In business, there’s the Parkinson’s Law that states, “Work expands to fill the time allotted for it”. In other words, if you don’t allocate a time frame for when to get the work done, you will take as long as you can.
If you have 3 days to complete the project, you will take 3 days to do it. If you have 24 hours to get the work done, then you will deliver the work within 24 hours.
I found that this is true.
For instance, I write my blog post every Tuesday and Thursday. And when I include a deadline for what time I should deliver the post, I will take as long as I need. Sometimes, I started at about 10 AM, and finish my article at around 4 PM. That’s a long time. And usually, my articles are at least 3,000 words.
However, I will get my article done faster whenever I give myself a time frame, say by 2 PM I must deliver the article. And that’s exactly what I got by 2 PM.
When I give myself a time frame, I become more focused and I know exactly what kind of result I must deliver, and by what time.
This is why giving yourself a time frame on every major task is important.
When you don’t allocate a time frame for your task, the Parkinson’s Law will kick in and you will take as long as you need to get the work done.
2. End your day by 3 PM
I learned this technique from an article on Forbes when doing research on this topic. The author of the article, Siimon Reynolds suggested his readers act as if their workday ends by 11 AM and they must get everything done by then.
In my opinion, I believe that 11 AM is way too extreme. In my country, Malaysia, most people start their work from 9 AM to 6 PM. Hence, if you end your workday at 11 AM, you only work for 2 hours. And that’s a little too short.
Hence, I suggest you treat it as if your workday ends by 3 PM or 4 PM.
The key is to alter your mentality.
When you think you can work until 6 PM, usually, you will waste most of your morning on unnecessary or unimportant work.
Like what the article Siimon wrote in the article:
“The average person has done virtually nothing of consequence by 11 AM; they have chatted with their co-workers, checked their emails, grabbed a coffee, and perhaps planned their day. They then complain they don’t have enough time to get their job done.”
Therefore, change your thinking – act like you have to leave your office by 3 PM and you will have to get everything done before that.
When you shifted your mindset, things will work out differently. Suddenly, you don’t have so much time to waste. And you will work faster because you really want to get things done faster and leave earlier, don’t you?
3. Schedule your work before you start your day
Another important technique that helps you become a faster worker is to schedule your work before you start your day.
In other words, plan your day.
I know that things may not go according to your plan, but planning is still necessary.
When you go to the office without having a clear plan of what you need to do, first, you will waste your time thinking and scheduling work. Second, you become reactive and you respond to whatever that comes to you.
Successful people who accomplish extraordinary results in life plan their day, and most even plan their lives.
Like Sir Richard Branson. He said it in his blog post that one of the secrets to success is none other than having a to-do list.
“The act of writing your tasks and thoughts down is useful as it helps to make sense of your ideas and give you focus,” wrote Branson on his blog.
So don’t start your day without having a to-do list. It helps in knowing what you need to do so that you can waste no time and focus on getting the tasks done.
Of course, you don’t want to overwhelm yourself by writing down 20 or 50 things to do.
Most people only able to get 4 – 6 items done on a typical day. Thus, make sure you only schedule high-impact tasks that are really important to your to-do list.
Scrap the thinking that more is better. When it comes to being productive, the Pareto’s Rule is king. Do and focus on what is important. Don’t try to do everything because you can’t.
Here’s an interesting article you may want to read:
One of the most direct ways to get your work done faster and earlier is to wake up early. When you start your day early, you can get things done earlier and have more time for other things.
Here are some examples of successful people who wake up extremely early to get things done according to Huff Post:
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, one of my favorite movie stars, wakes up and hit the gym for his routine workout by 4 AM each day.
Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter and Square gets up at 5 AM to meditate and exercise before he gets into the office.
Richard Branson, the billionaire behind Virgin Group wakes up around 5:45 AM to exercise and have breakfast before he starts his day.
And the famous billionaire investor, Warren Buffett wakes up at 6.45 AM and starts his day by reading the newspaper.
And the list goes on and on.
Now, you don’t have to wake up as early as 5 AM if you don’t want to, but one thing you have to understand is that most successful people choose to wake up early so that they can kick-start their day in the right pace.
Imagine if you wake up late and you have to rush to the office. You don’t have time for a good shower or a healthy breakfast. You don’t spend quality time with your loved ones and you have to rush to the office because you’re late. How do you think your day will turn out? Not good.
As a blogger, I can wake up any time I want, but still, I choose to get up at 6.20 AM every day. I start my work between 9 to 10 AM. And I prefer to get up early so that I have plenty of time to prepare myself for the rest of the day.
I will read in the morning, schedule my work, make breakfast, and sometimes even send my wife to work.
So if you want to get your work done faster, get up early.
5. Take micro-breaks
This may sound contradicting, but trust me, taking micro-breaks throughout the day allows you to get your work done faster.
You have to understand that we’re not machines. We’re humans. And being a human, we all need rests to recharge our energy, motivation, and willpower.
If you always procrastinate, feeling exhausted at the end of your workday, or feel like you’re not making much progress even though you spend a lot of time on a task, it may be a sign you’re not taking enough breaks.
Research has proved that taking regular short breaks can boost our productivity throughout the day. Our energy and willpower work just like our mobile phone’s battery.
In the morning, if you have a good sleep the night before, your energy bar will be full at 100%. And as you start your day, get busy, and work on your stuff, you use your energy. So if you don’t take a break to recharge your battery, eventually, you will deplete it and feel exhausted.
When you lack the willpower, it will be difficult to focus on your task at hand. This is why taking micro-breaks is important. You constantly recharge yourself to maintain your productivity by refreshing your mind through breaks.
So how do you take micro-breaks? Here are some easy methods:
Taking a break once an hour.
There were studies showed that those who distract themselves for a break once an hour performs better than those who keep at it without taking a break.
Move your body.
As human beings, our bodies are not designed to sit around all day long. You need to move to increase your blood and oxygen flow. Hence, move your body or take a walk throughout the day.
Take a tea break.
We all know that tea can be good for us due to its antioxidants entities, but the act of taking time away from your work gives you time to slow down and refresh your mental energy.
And if you want to learn more about taking breaks, read my previous article:
Want to work faster? Then batch your similar tasks together. This is easy to understand, but most people don’t do it.
I used to jumble all my work together, but since a few months back, I started to follow Jack Dorsey’s “theme day” concept to approach my work.
Being a CEO to both Square and Twitter, Dorsey needs to be extremely productive in managing his time. So how does he keep up with his job? This is what he said on Forbes:
“The way I found that works for me is I theme my days. On Monday, at both companies, I focus on management and running the company…Tuesday is focused on product. Wednesday is focused on marketing and communications and growth. Thursday is focused on developers and partnerships. Friday is focused on the company and the culture and recruiting. Saturday I take off, I hike. Sunday is reflection, feedback, strategy, and getting ready for the week.”
The concept of daily themes is effective because when you do so, you are batching similar tasks together and get them all done at the same time.
As for me, on Tuesday and Thursday, which are my blogging day, I will write long-form content for my blog. Like writing this article right now, I devoted my entire day for content writing. And for Wednesday, I use this day for creating images for Pinterest and Facebook.
After applying this concept for about 2 months, I can say that I’m able to work faster because I can focus better.
When you allow yourself to focus on a task for long enough, you’re able to reach the ‘flow state’ where you can perform better. The flow state is exactly what we’re going to talk about in the next technique.
Therefore, combine your effort together. Batch similar tasks so that you can get them all done at the same time.
For instance, if you want to write content for your blog, don’t brainstorm to come up with just one title only. Generate all the content ideas together, say you can come up with a month’s worth of article titles.
And when you proceed to writing, focus on just the writing. Don’t switch from writing to creating images and then back to writing again.
If you want to get your work done faster with higher efficiency, focus on doing one thing until you get it done. Only then you switch to another task.
7. Enter your flow state
I bet there are times when you lost yourself in your work, so much so that you’re so focused at what you do and you don’t realize the time. And this is the flow state.
The concept of flow was first coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. And this is what he said about flow:
“I developed a theory of optimal experience based on the concept of flow—the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it”
In short, when you’re in the flow state, you are 100% focused on the task at hand. You will lose track of time and you will forget about the things that are happening around you.
More importantly, you become more creative, productive, and able to get your work done faster without sacrificing quality.
So how do you achieve the flow state? Here are a few suggestions:
1) Make sure there are no distractions.
You want to allow yourself to focus 100% on the task at hand and you don’t want to have interruptions that take away your attention.
Lock yourself in the room if necessary, switch off your phone, put on the headphones, and make sure you are not distracted because you’re hungry.
2) Do not multitask.
If you multitask, you are distracting yourself. While it may sound multitasking is a much better approach to getting things done, when it comes to productivity, nothing beats single-tasking.
Our brains just don’t function that way. We can’t focus on two things at the same time. We can do two things simultaneously, we just can’t focus on both at the same time. What really happens is in our brains is we’re constantly switching focus from one task to another.
This is why we can’t text someone while driving. We can’t read and talk to someone at the same time.
3) Allow yourself enough time to focus on the task.
Flow state will not come to you instantly. It takes time to get into it. You need to give yourself time to fully focus on a task and get into a flow state. It’s like warming up.
It can take minutes to enter a flow state. And whenever you are interrupted, you will have to restart again.
Practicing these 3 steps above can greatly increase your chances of entering a flow state.
Mindfulness meditation helps in boosting your flow too. When you are absolutely calmed, at the present, and focused, you can get your work done faster.
But I’m not an expert with mindfulness meditation. So if you want to learn, learn from the experts. And one of them is none other than Jason Stephenson.
Conclusion
Imagine if you could get all of your work done by 3 PM, how will that make you feel? What if you can double your productivity and get more done each day and each week? How much more can you accomplish?
We have covered a lot of ground in this article. If you want to work faster, get more done, and become more productive, use the 7 techniques shared above.
Let’s take a fun journey into the world of humor and discover how it keeps our minds healthy! Did you know that laughter isn’t just about having fun? It’s like a hidden superpower for your brain.
We’ll explore how smiling and laughing can boost your inner strength, making you feel happier and less stressed.
It’s more than just jokes—laughter is a clever tool our brain uses to keep us feeling good. So, are you ready to laugh your way to a brighter, healthier you?
Understanding the interplay between humor and mental health can shed light on how laughter serves as a tool for not only social bonding but also psychological resilience.
The Psychology of Humor
Humor is a fascinating cognitive function, sparking high levels of brain activity. It’s not just about telling jokes; humor plays a key role in emotional regulation and how we connect socially. In fact, studies, including a review by the American Physiological Society, show that humor acts as a powerful bridge, enhancing communication and bonding between people. When you laugh, your brain releases a mix of feel-good hormones like dopamine, which stimulates the brain’s reward pathways. Research also shows that regular laughter can reduce stress by up to 39%, proving it’s a natural mood booster!
Benefits of Laughter on Well-Being
Laughter sets off a chain of physiological reactions that improve your mood and well-being. Here’s how laughter helps:
Reduces stress: Endorphins released during a good laugh help lower stress levels. In fact, studies show laughter can reduce stress hormones like cortisol by up to 70%.
Enhances immune function: Research, including studies found on ResearchGate, suggests regular laughter may boost immune response, helping the body fight off illness more effectively.
Improves happiness: Laughter and humor therapy have been shown to enhance optimism and life satisfaction. According to Positive Psychology, humor significantly boosts overall well-being, increasing happiness by up to 30%.
Boosts social connections: Laughter fosters stronger social bonds. Studies suggest people who share a laugh feel more connected and build trust faster in relationships.
Improves pain tolerance: Laughter increases the release of endorphins, which act as natural painkillers, raising pain tolerance and reducing discomfort by up to 10%.
Promotes heart health: Regular laughter can improve blood flow by up to 22%, reducing the risk of heart disease and promoting cardiovascular health.
By understanding and harnessing the power of humor, you unlock its powerful ability to build resilience, improve relationships, and boost both mental and physical health.
Incorporating Humor in Therapeutic Settings
Humor in therapy can serve as a bridge, connecting you to new perspectives of healing. It’s a tool that can lighten moods and forge bonds in clinical environments.
Humor-Based Therapy Techniques
When you’re facing a challenging time, the notion of humor might seem distant. However, therapeutic humor is a viable intervention designed to promote health and wellness. Therapeutic techniques often involve stimulating playful discovery and encouraging the expression or appreciation of life’s incongruities.
Surprise and Confusion: Some techniques encourage looking at a problem through a humorous lens, creating surprise or confusion. This can prompt you to seek alternative frameworks for problem-solving.
Shared Laughter: Group sessions might incorporate shared laughter exercises designed to build rapport and encourage social interaction.
Laughter Yoga: This combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing (Pranayama), aiming to tap into the psychological benefits of laughing.
Funny Dry Humor Jokes: Integrating a specific style of humor, such as funny dry humor jokes, can be particularly effective in therapy. This type of humor, characterized by a subtle, often understated delivery, can bring a light-hearted touch to therapy sessions. It works well in reducing the seriousness of a situation, making it easier to discuss difficult topics. The use of such humor can create a relaxed atmosphere, encouraging clients to engage more openly and comfortably in therapeutic processes.
Integrating humor into therapy isn’t about telling jokes; it’s about fostering an environment that allows for light-heartedness amidst the seriousness of mental health treatment. Interventions can be custom-tailored to fit your unique needs and therapy goals.
Case Studies of Humor in Therapy
Actual case studies reveal how incorporating humor can lead to meaningful improvements in mental health outcomes.
Reducing Anxiety: Studies have shown that humor can help reduce anxiety by breaking the cycle of negative thoughts and replacing them with a lighter outlook.
Enhancing Group Therapy Dynamics: In group settings, humor helps create a sense of unity and can improve social support, making the therapeutic process more effective.
By examining real-world applications, it is evident that humor can have a place in the delicate framework of therapy. It’s not a panacea, but it’s another tool you can use to navigate the complexities of mental health.
Motivational Theories Behind Humor
Understanding why humor works as a motivational tool can help you harness its power more effectively. Below, explore how intrinsic and extrinsic motivations relate to humor, and consider humor’s role in social bonding and as a coping mechanism.
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation is your internal drive to do something for its inherent satisfaction. When you laugh at a joke, you’re experiencing an intrinsic reward. Humor can spark your interest, making learning and engagement feel less like work and more like play.
Contrastingly, extrinsic motivation involves seeking external rewards. If humor is employed to achieve high marks or praise, for instance, it’s tapping into extrinsic motivators. However, intrinsic motivation linked to humor often leads to more profound and lasting engagement.
Humor as Social Bonding and Coping Mechanism
Social Bonding: Laughter isn’t just a response to humor; it’s a social signal. By sharing a joke, you’re building a bridge to others, fostering trust and cooperation. Humor can act as a glue in social settings, helping you connect and stay motivated through shared experiences.
Coping Mechanism: Facing adversity, humor becomes a shield. As you laugh in the face of challenges, tension dissipates. Humor has the uncanny ability to provide relief of tension, like steam escaping, making problems feel lighter and more manageable.
Practical Applications of Humor
Humor serves as a powerful tool in managing mental well-being, offering respite in personal spheres and fostering an inclusive atmosphere at the workplace.
Daily Practices for Individuals
Incorporate humor into your morning routine. Start your day with a smile by watching a short comedic clip or reading a couple of jokes. Maintain a ‘humor journal’. Just as you might track gratitudes or daily events, jot down funny occurrences or thoughts that bring laughter. This can be a personal inventory of joy to revisit when you need a lift.
Creating a Positive Environment at Work
Share a laugh with colleagues. Introduce a ‘funny moment of the day’ during team meetings where each person can share a light-hearted story or joke. Humor boards. Devote a space on the office bulletin board for employees to post cartoons or humorous quotes—make sure the content is appropriate and inclusive to maintain a respectful workplace culture.
Challenges and Limitations of Using Humor
While humor can be a powerful tool in uplifting spirits, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Below, you’ll navigate the tricky waters of when and how to use humor effectively in mental health.
Recognizing Appropriate Contexts
You need to gauge the room before cracking a joke. Not every situation benefits from humor, especially in sensitive contexts where individuals may be dealing with serious emotional distress. Humor has to be used judiciously, tailored to a person’s condition and preferences, and it’s essential to ensure that it’s conducive to healing rather than being dismissive of one’s feelings.
Potential Pitfalls and Misunderstandings
Even with the best intentions, humor can backfire. You must be vigilant about two main risks:
Blocking Emotional Expression: Sometimes, humor can act as a barrier rather than a bridge, hindering the person from expressing deeper feelings or concerns.
Misinterpreted Messages: What’s funny to you might be offensive or hurtful to someone else. Misjudging the type of humor can lead to misunderstandings or even harm the therapeutic relationship.
By being mindful of these challenges, you can better navigate the delicate balance humor requires in mental health contexts.
Measuring the Impact of Humor
Understanding humor’s role in mental health involves two approaches: quantifying its effects and observing changes over time. Here’s how you can measure the subtleties and the long-term benefits of laughter on the mind.
Quantitative and Qualitative Assessments
In the quest to gauge humor’s effectiveness, you’ll encounter quantitative assessments, which look at numbers and statistics. Think surveys with Likert scales that ask you to rate your mood after a comedy show. Qualitative assessments, on the other hand, dive into the texture of your experience. You’ll find open-ended interviews asking how humor shifts your outlook on life. Both methods aim to capture humor’s essence in different, yet complementary ways.
Longitudinal Studies on Humor Intervention
To see humor’s lasting sparkle, longitudinal studies are your go-to. These studies track individuals’ reactions to humor over weeks, months, or even years. They can reveal how consistent chuckles might ease your stress or bolster resilience. Research suggests that engaging with humor can lead to notable improvement in mental well-being over time.
Future Directions in Research and Practice
Exploring humor’s potential in mental health is burgeoning. Your knowledge, paired with emerging studies, promises innovative therapies and deeper insights.
Innovative Approaches to Humor Therapy
The quest for new methods in humor therapy is exciting. You might find studies proposing techniques that intertwine surprise and confusion as part of the therapeutic process. Such methods could encourage you to rethink problems and foster resilience. Meanwhile, multiform humor therapy is gaining traction for its versatility and adaptability to individual needs, which could revolutionize personalized care strategies.
Expanding the Understanding of Humor’s Role
In understanding humor’s full impact, you’ll see an upswell in research that dissects its neuroscientific and psychopathological facets. Investigations will likely delve deeper into how humor can enhance well-being and serve as a preventive tool against mental health struggles. Your grasp of this information will be instrumental in crafting interventions that are both effective and enjoyable for those seeking help.
And that’s our laughter-filled journey! We’ve discovered how amazing humor is, not just for a quick smile, but for keeping our minds happy and healthy. Remember, every giggle and chuckle is like a mini workout for your brain, making you stronger in facing life’s ups and downs.
So, the next time you laugh, think about the awesome things it’s doing for your mind. Keep finding reasons to chuckle, because laughter really is a superpower in our everyday lives. Here’s to more laughs and happier days ahead!
Simple tips to balance life and work so you can feel happier and less stressed every day.
Do you agree that life is a balancing act? And that creating a harmonious work-life balance is critical to improving not just our physical well-being, but also our emotional and career health.
In my last article, I talked about why work-life balance is so important. You can check it out if you want to learn more about why balance is possible and why it’s something we should all aim for.
One thing I want to make clear is that achieving work-life balance doesn’t always mean balancing your time.
For example, if you work for 8 hours, it doesn’t mean you need to take 8 hours off to relax or spend time with family. Work-life balance isn’t about making sure you have equal amounts of work and free time. It’s about the quality of how you spend that time.
You could get a lot more done in 2 hours of focused work than in 4 hours of distracted time.
The important thing is knowing that work-life balance is possible, but it takes effort to make it happen.
So, how can you balance your work, family, and personal life and feel good about it?
Here are 10 tips you can use to achieve a better work-life balance
1. Prioritize and schedule your time to maintain a healthy work-life balance
One of the most important tips for achieving work-life balance is to prioritize and schedule your time. If you don’t prioritize, you will end up doing irrelevant work that gives you little results. And you will spend your entire day working and find yourself having no time in your life.
It is an important skill that I strongly suggest you learn. What you can do is to list down all the things that you need to do. Preferably, keep the list short like 4 to 6 items at most.
And then, when you start your day, choose to work on each of them. This is how you can focus your energy and effort on things that are really important to you.
One more thing, do you know that you can set goals outside of your career and work life?
You can have goals that you are passionate about, like in your health, relationships, and personal life. For instance, besides having goals in your career and work, you can have exercise goals to maintain your health or to have relationship goals to maintain your intimacy with the ones you loved.
For me, I make every Friday night my date night and I also make it my target to read a book every week. What about you? What other goals do you have outside of your career?
Prioritize your goals and then schedule the action steps. This is how you can make sure you attain the work-life balance you desire.
RescueTime.com has published a very good article about how to prioritize your work. You can read it here.
2. Create a productive workspace
Another important way to maintain your work-life balance is to make sure you are productive when you are working. And to do so, you must create a productive workstation.
A lot of people work in an unproductive environment. They feel stressed, pressured, and their productivity is low, all because they have an unsupportive workspace.
I’m a strong believer in how our environment can shape our lives. When you work in an unproductive workplace, it can greatly affect your mood which will eventually affect other areas of your life.
You don’t want to go to the office to feel stress, and then bring home the stress and release it to your family members, right?
Hence, create a supportive workspace. When you are happy at work, you become more productive. You feel satisfied and fulfilled. And when you’re feeling good at work, you go back home with a better mood that makes your life and everything around you better.
Stop multitasking. When you do your work, work. Stop checking emails, surf through the internet or check the updates on social media while you work.
You can schedule to do all those, but when you work, focus on working and don’t multitask.
You don’t want yourself to be distracted at work and it decreases your productivity.
Most people spend a huge chunk of their time at work. And you really want to make these hours count. You don’t want to spend 8 hours a day working aimlessly and being distracted while getting nothing done.
This is also the reason why most people fail to produce extraordinary results in their work. They are constantly being distracted and they don’t know what they really want out of their lives.
They have developed a set of routine to work at things in a certain way. But it may not be the best way. If you always find yourself having not enough time to finish your work, probably, you should reconsider how you approach your work.
Is it that you are constantly being distracted and fail to complete your task? Or is it because you are being reactive to everything around you?
Identify your objectives and set daily goals. And stick to your plan until you get all the tasks done before you do something else.
If you want to maintain your work-life balance, you must make time for yourself. How often do you spend time doing things that you love? Do you still remember what is your hobby?
Life is not just about work. You need to also spend time doing things that you love to recharge your soul and mind.
Studies have discovered that polymaths (people who wide knowledge) tend to be more successful than people who only focus on one area of expertise.
Leonardo Da Vinci was an extraordinary painter who painted Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, etc., but do you know that he also ventured into music, engineering, literature, and many other fields?
When you spend time on other things outside of work, you are working to becoming a more complete ‘you’. You get to see things from a different angle which gives you an advantage at work.
Therefore, make time for yourself every day. You can read, you can paint, you can play guitars, etc., do something to make your soul sings.
5. Communicate your needs
Don’t assume other people know what you want. If you want others to understand you, you must first communicate your needs to them.
For example, you can voice your need to achieve a better work-life balance to your family members or your boss. When they understand, they will support you rather than making life hard for you.
If you need to attend a gym class after work, tell that to your boss. Ask permission from your boss so that you can leave a little early to get to the class once or twice a week.
And if you need to work longer hours, tell that to your family members too. Tell them that you are working on an important project and you want to really get it done for your company. Let them understand that you will get back to them once you have got your work done.
Unless you are living alone and doing things all by yourself, you need to learn to communicate your need so that others can support and help you reach a better work-life balance.
6. Take short breaks and holiday
I bet you have heard the phrase, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. And I believe you don’t want to be like Jack, don’t you?
Hence, take many short breaks throughout the day. You want to keep your energy level high so that you can have the productivity and willpower to accomplish more.
And at least once a day, stop work and don’t talk about work. Use the day for yourself, your family members, or do something that you are passionate about.
You don’t want to fill your entire day with work. This will tire you out and make you feel exhausted. And if this persists over the long-term, things will get worse and you may suffer burnout.
Thus, take many short breaks during the day. And take one day off once a week. And within a year, you can take a couple of days off. Whether you go for a holiday or just to relax, that is up to you.
7. Set clear boundaries for work and life
Another technique to maintain your work-life balance is to set clear boundaries for your work and life. You want to avoid overworking and overplaying.
For instance, when you leave the office, don’t bring your work home. You don’t want to reply to emails and feel stressed about your work when you’re at home.
It is important to determine when to start working and when to stop. When you work, work. And when it is time for play, then take your mind off your work and enjoy the play.
In my case, I will switch off my laptop after 10PM. And I set an alarm at 10:40PM to tell myself it is time to stop everything and read a good book before I go to sleep.
What about you? What are the boundaries you can set for your work and life? How can you make your life better by creating rules for yourself to follow?
8. Unplug and get close to nature
We are always connected. Even when we are working, we allow distractions through our phone. Someone can easily reach us or a notification can easily take our attention away.
What you want to do to have more work-life balance is to unplug yourself. Like the previous example, you can set boundaries to unplug. I don’t check my phone before I go to bed. It has become my habit. I prefer to read than to check my phone before I sleep.
You want to schedule regular time to unplug – to get away from the connected world – so that you can work on yourself, reflect on your life, and to get close to nature.
Technology is good, there’s no doubt about that. It makes things easier and more convenient. With your phone, you don’t have to turn on your computer to check emails. You can connect with anyone anywhere and anytime you want.
But let’s be honest. As much as technology has created convenience for us, we don’t want technology to get in the way when we have our ‘me time’ and our family time. You don’t want technology to make you less productive. You want to use technology to be more productive, not the other way.
Do you know that you can free up a lot of time so that you can pursue work-life balance by creating automation in your life? There are also many things you can outsource and delegate.
One of the most common examples is cooking. In today’s world, you don’t have to cook and you can just order your dinner to be delivered to you.
Not only that, you can also automate how you manage your money like paying bills, tracking credit, and budgeting.
And if you’re a small business owner, you can also automate or outsource your invoicing and accounting task.
Plus, you also don’t have to do grocery or toiletry shopping if you don’t want to. You can buy all the groceries online easily these days.
If you want to learn how to automate your life, read this article here.
10. Make planning a habit
Work-life balance will never happen unless you are conscious about it and if you plan for it. Thus, make it a habit to plan.
It is true that not everything will turn out like what you have planned and your plan may not work. But it is not so much about the result, it is more about the planning.
When you plan for something, you become more attentive to the things that you want. You become more proactive and you know what you need to do.
Without planning, you become reactive and you respond to basically everything that comes to you.
Extraordinary people don’t achieve great success through accidents. They get there through planning, whether they write it down or they constantly think about it in their head.
Therefore, if you want to achieve work-life balance, you must plan for it. You must be conscious of what you need to do and what you must not do.
And when you have a plan, you can then actively put in the effort to make things work.
Recommendations for 5 Books on Work-Life Balance (Available on Amazon)
“The 4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferriss A practical guide on how to optimize your time and outsource tasks, making it easier to achieve a balanced life.
“Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown Learn how to focus on what really matters in both work and life to achieve true balance and happiness.
“Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear This book offers practical advice on building habits that support a healthy work-life balance.
“The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin A year-long journey that shows how small changes can lead to a more balanced, happier life.
“Work-Life Balance: How to Find the Balance Between Your Career and Your Personal Life” by Michael A. Williams A straightforward approach to achieving harmony between your work life and personal time.
Conclusion
Work-life balance is not a myth, and it’s something you can absolutely achieve if you’re committed to it. By applying the 10 tips shared above, you can create a life that feels fulfilling both personally and professionally.
It’s important not to spend all your time focused on work, but at the same time, you don’t want to be overwhelmed by too much free time. The key is finding balance by actively designing a life that aligns with your values and goals.
Remember, balance isn’t about rigid schedules; it’s about being mindful of where you invest your energy. Take time to rest, but also make room for growth—whether that’s professionally, emotionally, or personally.
Achieving work-life balance is a continuous journey that takes self-awareness and effort, but it’s well worth the investment in your well-being.
Do I miss anything? Do you find this article helpful? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below!
