Maintaining a positive sense of work-life balance doesn’t just help you in your personal life. It emboldens your professional life, too. Having that clear demarcation can optimize your performance in the office because it allows you to truly recharge your batteries while at home. What I’m getting at is simply this: Striving for work-life balance doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing anything professionally. On the contrary, it may be a tremendous boost to your workplace productivity, creativity, and vigor.
The question, of course, is how can it be done? As a leadership speaker, I meet a lot of entrepreneurs and executives who wonder about balancing their work and home lives. Here are five of the tips that I provide them:
Involve your family. Sometimes the best way to figure out that work-life balance is to just put your cards on the table and ask for insight and support. Be real with your spouse and your kids about your goals and aspirations, both at work and at home. Ask them to help you brainstorm some ideas to juggle those priorities, and to hold you accountable to those goals.
Set a good example for your team. It’s important not only that you seek balance, but that you create a culture where balance is cherished. Don’t talk all day about work-life balance and then send work-related e-mails well after midnight. Live up to your own ambitions for work-life balance.
Take breaks and vacations as needed. Listen to your body, as it will tell you when it’s being taxed too hard and sapped of its strength. Don’t be afraid to take a long lunch, a half-day, or even a week-long vacation to clear your head and regain your focus. Ultimately, that can only help your productivity.
Have work-free zones in your home. Having a home office is fine, but taking your laptop into the bedroom isn’t. Make sure you set some areas aside where you only focus on your family life, and leave work at the door.
Schedule family time. If you’re struggling to see your kids or spend time with your spouse, do what I do: Actually add it to your calendar. Make appointments for everything, even your time at the gym, and then guard those blocks of time zealously.
Achieving balance is never easy—but it’s a worthy pursuit. Both your team members and your family members will appreciate the effort!