Your ability to balance your work life with your personal life plays a central role in your overall health. At first glance, it may not seem like it’s that big of a deal, but people who don’t have a healthy work/life balance tend to burn out fast and get sick more often. Entrepreneurs are especially prone to burnout from not paying attention to their needs.
All this might seem normal if you’ve lived this way for a long time, but there is a better way. Here are some tips for maintaining a positive work/life balance when you run your own business.
Source: outsourceaccelerator.com
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1. Outsource as much as possible
Outsourcing your workload is like offloading weight from your shoulders you didn’t even know was there. You probably won’t realize how good it feels to outsource until you do it. For example, if you’re a property investor who also plays the role of landlord, outsourcing your duties will free you up to do other, more important things.
Many residential property investors have found that having more time to themselves greatly improves their quality of life. That’s why Green Residential, a Houston property management company, is so popular. They help landlords get what they really want – time and freedom.
No matter what kind of business you run, if there is anything you can outsource that doesn’t require your specific input, hand it off. Hire someone to do your accounting, file your taxes, and manage your company’s cybersecurity needs. Let go of any task that you don’t absolutely need to perform. If it requires expertise, it’s worth hiring a true expert and paying for their services because your time is worth more money.
2. Schedule your breaks
Start scheduling breaks and lunches into your day to ensure that you actually take them. One of the fastest ways to burn out is to skip taking breaks, even if you don’t think they’re necessary. Breaks are essential to maintain both physical and emotional health. If you’re always going hard, your brain will reach the point of exhaustion before too long, and then you’ll be useless for the rest of the day.
On the other hand, when you take periodic breaks and give your brain a rest, you will be more clear-headed, energetic, and capable of solving problems. The human brain isn’t designed to be overloaded for long periods of time.
Source: work-fit.com
3. Schedule with people you love
If there’s one thing that bothers family and friends when you work a lot, it’s not being available to connect when they’re free. Finding time to connect with people you care about is important, but sometimes it’s hard or impossible to make everyone’s schedule work.
There is a solution to this problem and it may feel unconventional at first, but it really works. All you have to do is schedule a time to hang out in advance. This requires getting the other person to commit to a time and date, but if they’re willing to do that, you can guarantee them your time. This is much easier than trying to make plans at the last minute of the day when you’re already tired or throwing around, “we’ll connect next week” a bunch of times and nothing ever comes of it.
Other people might find it odd when you ask them to schedule a time to hang out, but just explain to them that this is the best way for you to ensure you get to see them. If trying to wing it hasn’t worked, it’s time to try a scheduled commitment.
4. Turn off your devices at night
Just because you run your own business doesn’t mean you have to be available 24/7 to anyone, including your clients or your friends. If you don’t set boundaries for yourself, you’ll become out of balance and will start leaning in the direction of exhaustion. When that happens, burnout is right around the corner.
At the very least, turn off all of your devices at night, well before you go to bed. Not just at the moment you decide to hit the hay. Give yourself at least a few hours of silence and downtime before bed. Studies have shown that people who turn off their smartphones, tablets, and computers a few hours before bed get better sleep, feel more rested, and have an easier time getting into the flow.
Part of this is because the light from a device can disrupt melatonin production, which makes it hard for you to feel tired enough to go to sleep. This isn’t limited to electronics, however. The light from a lamp in your home can do the same. Light inhibits melatonin production regardless of the source. It’s just a little worse with devices because we stare at them all day.
You shouldn’t have to be available three hours before you go to bed. If anyone needs something, they can wait until the morning.
Source: entrepreneur.com
5. Ask for help and delegate
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of not asking for help when you really need support. Sure, you probably can do everything yourself. And you’ve probably mastered doing several things at once while meeting all of your deadlines. Realistically, that’s going to catch up with you if you don’t lighten your load.
Instead of forcing yourself to be a jack-of-all-trades, and juggling more than you can handle, set it down and start delegating. You might be the absolute best at decorating your conference room for each holiday party, but if you have other pressing matters, delegate the task to someone creative on your team. You can probably find someone who would love to do it for you.
Turn your chaos into calm
Life as a business owner will get hectic and chaotic at times, but it doesn’t have to be that way on a regular basis. You can transform the chaos in your day with scheduled appointments, regular breaks, delegation, and a device-free night. When you do, you’ll experience a stronger sense of emotional and physical well-being.
