Achieving that ever elusive “work/life balance” in the workplace can feel overwhelming and near to impossible some days. As companies continue to grow, reorganize and shift, and as technology makes admins accessible around the clock, it’s becoming even more imperative for admins to maintain work/life balance in their lives.
If you’re like us you hear the words but struggle to find the ways in which to achieve it. We hear you and we support your efforts. Here are some tips we’ve found that might be helpful. Let’s all make a commitment in the new year to find and actively practice work/life balance in our lives.
Let Go of Perfectionism As you move up the administrative career ladder, your responsibilities can increase. Especially in the administrative support role, the desire for perfectionism is strong because it can become an expectation that comes with the job. Try to keep in mind that you’re only human, and that there will be times when the work you produce isn’t 100% up to our perfect standards, and that’s OK. Try not to get too bogged down with the minutiae and try accepting those less than perfect incidents, learn from them and keep moving forward with your day.
Unplug No one would argue that technology has in many ways, made our job and the work we do easier, but it also comes with a price. It can in some instances, create expectations of 24/7 accessibility which makes the work day feel never ending. Learn to unplug at the end of your work day, turn off phone notifications, try not to text coworkers or send work emails during your off hours. Instead, focus on the other “co-workers” of your life like your friends and family. Make quality time true quality time.
Exercise and meditate We can see you rolling your eyes on this one, but bare with us. Exercise is one of our most crucial needs and is typically the first thing to go when our calendars fill up. But hear us out…exercise is an effective stress reducer and it pumps feel good endorphins which can help lift your mood. All pluses right? Which can play a part in maintaining work/life balance. Try dedicating a few chunks of time each week to self-care, whether it’s exercise, yoga or meditation. Make 2019 the year you incorporate exercise into your life!
Start small. Build from there. We’ve all been guilty of New Year’s resolution fails, promises made to ourselves and others that are quickly dumped or forgotten by February. The same could be said for work/life balance promises, which can fizzle out if we try to take on too much too soon. If you’re committed to taking serious steps towards achieving work/life balance, our advice…start small and build from there. If one of your commitments is to do something every day or every night, start smaller and commit to performing this task one to two days or nights a week, and build from there. Reward yourself for sticking to those small commitments by increasing them gradually as you go.
Work-life balance means something different to every individual, find the balance that’s right for you and let’s commit to getting healthier, mind, body and spirit, in 2019.