Ten Tips for Achieving Better Work Life Balance

We are all looking to achieve optimal work/personal life balance. Consider the following tips for getting closer to reaching your best by establishing a routine that works for you. Whether you work from home (WFH) or commute to an office every day, even adopting one of these tips and putting it into practice will make a difference.

1. Work From Home tip – finish working on time. Work in a separate, designated office, room or workspace with natural light.

2. Keep your office and home surroundings organized and tidy. Go though closets, drawers, cabinets and get rid of ‘stuff’ that’s weighing you down.

3. When/if you get bored or ‘burned out,’ freshen up your routine (activities, hobbies, foods, recreation).

4. Take a lunch break away from your desk, for at least 30 minutes.

5. Avoid overbooking/over scheduling your days/time.

6. Stay on track with 5 essential tasks/day that get you closer to meeting your goals.

7. Read and then re-read emails before sending them. Keep them short, to the point, positive and professional – a reflection of you.

8. Make a note (journal) of the lesson/what you learned from making a mistake/a wrong choice so you don’t repeat it.

9. Group like tasks together in a comfortable, efficient and orderly manner. Avoid jumping around from task to task. Establish a flow to your day that makes sense.

10. Whenever you have a break, squeeze in a walk. Prioritize exercise, at least 15 minutes, either before or after work.

Walking Health Benefits

Walking is the most popular type of exercise for many reasons. It is economical, easy on joints, simple, heart-healthy, effective for weight management, fun, and great for beginners, to name a few benefits. According to research, simply taking more steps every day (regardless of pace or intensity) lowers your risk of developing cardiovascular disease significantly. A dramatic reduction in heart disease risk was seen in those who raised their daily step count from less than 4,000 per day to over 8,000 per day.

Other benefits include promoting bone density, as walking is a weight-bearing exercise. Those who walk regularly have brighter moods, less depression and are more productive. Need more  reasons to walk? Regular walking lowers blood pressure and improves sleep quality.

Sample SMART Goals

Most people have already heard that setting goals is an important step in making thoughts and wishes a reality. Whether professional, personal, academic or health-related, the goal you set should be SMART. This stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic and Time-Bound. Time and again, these goals are more motivating and get you to the next level, no matter your objective. So, in the area of health, nutrition and fitness, what does a SMART goal look like (versus a general goal). Check out these 5 examples:

General: I will eat better. (what, how, when?)
SMART: I will eat 2 servings of green vegetables daily, at lunch and at dinner. (You can also specify a duration).

General: I will be more active. (how, what, when?)
SMART: I will wake up at 6:30 am (instead of 6:45 am) on M, W, and F so I can take a 15-minute walk (or bike ride) before getting ready for work. (You can specify a specific time for your walk).

General: I will eat less sugar to lower my blood sugar levels.
SMART: I will stop adding sugar to my coffee in the morning and have an afternoon snack of 1 oz nuts and a piece of fruit instead of 2 chocolate chip cookies.

General: I will de-clutter my bedroom closet and dresser drawers, donating some items.
SMART: Every Saturday afternoon for the next month I will go through 3 drawers and 1/4 of my closet. (Furthermore, you could add that you will have 2 piles: donate and throw away, etc).

General: I will start following the Mediterranean diet.
SMART: For the next month I will transition to a Mediterranean-style diet by doing the following: eating fish 2x/wk (Tuesday and Friday), snacking on nuts, and trying a new Mediterranean-style recipe on a Sunday evening.