There was a time when the boundaries between work and home were fairly clear. Today, however, work is likely to invade your personal life — and maintaining work-life balance is no simple task. Still, work-life balance isn’t out of reach. Start by evaluating your relationship to work. Then apply specific strategies to help you strike a healthier balance. Below are 5 tips for improving your work-life balance.
5 Tips for Improving Your Work-Life Balance
- Figure Out What Really Matters to You in Life: The important point here is to figure out what you want your priorities to be, not what you think they should be.
- Drop Unnecessary Activities: By making a list of what really matters to you, you may discover you are allocating too much time to activities that aren’t a priority, and you can adjust your schedule accordingly.
- Protect Your Private Time: It is important to carve out both personal time and time devoted to nurturing your relationships.
- Accept Help to Balance Your Life: Allow yourself to rely on your partner, family members, or friends for help so that you can focus on top priorities.
- Plan Fun and Relaxation: It’s important to remember that fun and relaxation are an essential part of living a well-balanced life.
In order to help you visualize and analyze your work-life balance, SAP has created a new Work/Life Dashboard using SAP Crystal Presentation Design (formerly ‘Xcelsius Present’). Individuals can input their work-life balance data and compare how closely their real world work/life balance compares to their “ideal”. The charts and gauges are interactive so as users add/update their personal information the visuals all change in real time. Below is a screenshot of one of the many comparison views.
If you are interested in learning how to build your own simple dashboards using SAP Crystal Presentation Design from an Excel file check out this easy to follow “how to video”. For a limited time, you can get a fully licensed version of SAP Crystal Presentation Design for FREE – a $195 value!
Once you have a better understanding of how you are currently using your time, check out these resources for more information on how to achieve your ideal work-life balance.
According to the Employee Assistance Professionals Association, 75% – 90% of physician visits are related to stress. Don’t become a statistic.
