Welcome back to #TeaTime!
It’s time to get super real with you guys– I SUCK at maintaining a work-life balance, because I’m terrible at keeping my work life and personal life separate.
I enjoy my work life so much that it often crosses into my hobbyist activities (like writing, for example). That’s not to say I treat my work like a hobby– not at all. I just tend to spend more time on my work when I should be spending it doing things that help me unwind, because I find my job so much fun!
But this is not always a good thing. Despite enjoying it, work is still work, and doing too much of it can quickly cause burnout, which leads to stress and exhaustion and eventually, lack of motivation (which is rock bottom for me, because I can work through stress and exhaustion but if I just don’t feel like doing work I won’t).
Here are some tips I’ve picked up along the way that have helped me, and I think will help you too:
1 | Set boundaries and don’t check emails/social media after you ‘clock out’ for the day.
It’s SUPER hard, I know 
(especially if you’re waiting for an email newsletter to arrive or someone you LURVE posts a pic on Instagram). Social media is a source of enjoyment and connectivity for us, so I’m not saying you have to completely avoid it outside of work hours. But know your limits, and take note of things you should follow up on the next day. Don’t be tempted to deal with them immediately just because you’re there and you can.
2 | Prioritise your time to get the most out of a productive workday.
Prioritising your time is very important. We all know there is so much you can get done if you put your mind to it, but this is a very easy way to get burnt out. Something that helps me is creating a list of must-do tasks every day, and deadlines for upcoming tasks. Having that flexibility allows me to always stay on top of crucial tasks, but tackle the less important ones when I’m actually feeling up to it.
3 | Create a great work environment and routine.
I used to work everywhere, and I still do to a degree. But I try and tackle the majority of my tasks in my office. It helps my body recognise that when I’m at my desk, I need to be focused, but when I’m elsewhere, I can wind down and relax.
Having a routine also helps this– when I leave my desk to get lunch or take a break, I’m not tempted to keep working, and my body really does get to rest during that period of time.
Let me know in the comments below, how do you create work-life balance?
(This post is part of the Tea Time series. Follow along on Twitter + Instagram using the hashtag #TeaTimeSeries)
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