how do you balance between personal and professional life essay

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24 Ways to Improve Work-Life Balance

Last Updated: March 20, 2024 Fact Checked

Best Ways to Promote Work-Life Balance

• Advice for Remote Workers

Expert Interview

This article was co-authored by Leah Morris and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman . Leah Morris is a Life and Relationship Transition coach and the owner of Life Remade, a holistic personal coaching service. With over three years as a professional coach, she specializes in guiding people as they move through both short-term and long-term life transitions. Leah holds a BA in Organizational Communication from California State University, Chico and is a certified Transformational Life Coach through the Southwest Institute for Healing Arts. There are 17 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 241,463 times.

Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is all about dedicating healthy amounts of energy to both your professional and personal life. [1] X Trustworthy Source Mental Health Foundation UK charity working towards good mental health for all. Go to source Striking a good balance can be as simple as setting clear boundaries and priorities—but there are plenty of other ways to draw a professional line in the sand, too. Read on to learn plenty of easy and applicable ways to add a healthy sense of structure and harmony to your daily life.

How to Find a Healthy Work-Life Balance

• Create a list of priorities so you know what’s most important in your day-to-day life and stick to a schedule.
• Say “no” to tasks that are too overwhelming for your workload.
• Dedicate your free time to activities you enjoy, like art, reading, hiking, and spending time with loved ones.

• “No, thanks. That’s not a good fit for my schedule right now.”
• “Thanks so much for thinking of me, but I’m not available right now.”
• “My calendar is really full for the next few weeks, but I might be free to help next month.”

• “With my current project load, I won’t have enough time to get this done by the end of the day.”
• “Is there someone else who could tackle this? I already have a lot on my plate right now.”
• “I can finish my current assignment or complete this new one, but I can’t do them both. Which would you prefer I work on?”

• When making your daily schedule , highlight the three most important tasks you need to get done each day (aside from actually going to work or going to school). These might be professional items like working on a presentation or personal items like going to the dentist or your daughter's ballet recital.
• Keep in mind that your priorities may change over time, and that’s okay!

• For instance, you might block off your whole morning to an important project, and then block off smaller chunks of time for less time-sensitive tasks in the afternoon.

• Give yourself permission to respond to messages at a later time.
• Put your personal devices on silent or “do not disturb.”
• Put your phone on airplane mode when you really need to focus.
• Direct emails to the necessary individuals rather than sending “reply all,” which can lead to muddled, confusing, and distracting email threads.

• Text a friend for a few minutes
• Make yourself a cup of coffee
• Take a short walk outside
• Imagine a fun vacation you’d like to take [7] X Research source

• Many people choose to use LinkedIn for their career or academic connections and Facebook or Instagram for friends and family. [8] X Research source

• It can also help to delete certain apps from your phone, or to at least switch off notifications.

• It can be hard to separate your work and professional life when you’re checking work emails on your personal time.
• The same logic applies to phone calls—if you receive a work-related call during your off-hours, simply call back during your working hours.

• Playing sports with your friends
• Playing video games
• Doing a craft
• Cooking a delicious meal

• Try to plan a small trip, even if your employer doesn’t offer vacation time. It’s important to have time and space for yourself!

• See if your workplace offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This type of program can help iron out difficulties you might run into as a working adult, like finding a local therapist.

Work-Life Balance Tips for Remote Workers

• Don’t let your work hours creep into your personal time. When it is time to stop for the day, stop working, shut down your laptop, and step away from your workspace.
• Try to set work hours that work with your personal life. For example, try to avoid working on the weekends if you know that there are things you will want to do.
• Tip: Give yourself the freedom and wiggle room to adjust your hours to accommodate your family. For instance, if you have kids, it might make more sense to get some work done in the morning before getting them ready for school. [16] X Research source

• Try getting up about 30 to 60 minutes before you want to start working for the day so that you can get dressed for work.
• Make sure that you change out of your work clothes when it is time to relax. For example, you can switch to pajamas or your favorite jeans and a t-shirt.

• Set a time for your lunch break to start and end every day. For example, you might agree to take lunch from 12:00 to 12:30 each day.
• Ask a family member or significant other to remind you when it is time for your lunch break. If you are worried about forgetting to take a lunch break, then ask one of your friends or family members to come get you when it is time for a break.

• Try to prevent yourself from doing any housework or anything that is not work-related while you are on the clock. If you notice a household chore that you want to complete, write it down on a notepad and save it for the end of your work day.
• Keep in mind that everyone is different. For example, if you find that folding laundry is a soothing way for you to spend a break, then go for it!

• Consider doing something social at the end of each day. Working from home can be isolating, so you need to find ways to interact with other people. You can do this by talking to your significant other, meeting up with some friends for coffee, or taking an aerobics class after work.

• Consider what works best for you and your babysitter. For example, maybe your parents can come over to the house, or you can drop your kids off for a playdate with grandma a few times a week.
• A trustworthy babysitter can also be a great option if you can afford to pay someone to watch your kids. If you do not have a good regular babysitter, ask friends and family if they know anyone.

• A busy box is filled with a variety of toys and activities that are meant to keep your child entertained while you work. For example, a busy box might include, crayons, clay, a coloring book, stickers, puzzles, and other toys for your child.
• Prepare busy boxes the night before and place them near your workspace. You can use an empty shoe box or other small box and select from your child’s toys and other items to create the box. You might even throw in a surprise now and then, such as a new coloring book or a new package of stickers.
• You can even create themes for busy boxes. For example, if you want to teach your child about colors, you can make boxes with collections of red items, blue items, etc. Or, you might create a theme for a busy box based on one of your child’s favorite movies, books, shows, or characters.

• You might also need to learn how to talk to your kids and play with them while you work. Being able to work and engage with your kids at the same time is a skill, but you can develop this skill with practice.
• If you have a backyard with a play area for your kids or a nearby park with a playground, then you might even consider taking your work outside for an afternoon.

Expert Q&A

• Think about hiring a life coach! Having somebody take a second look and examine your personal blind spots can be really helpful. For instance, a life coach can point out aspects of your life where you aren’t striking a good professional/personal balance. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about balancing your life, check out our in-depth interview with Leah Morris .

• ↑ https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/work-life-balance
• ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/building-healthy-boundaries-14-different-ways-to-say-no#1
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/202106/how-figure-out-your-priorities
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/09/15/three-ways-to-use-time-blocking-for-better-time-management/?sh=3428415b37f9
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/12/10-quick-tips-for-avoiding-distractions-at-work
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/taking-breaks/
• ↑ https://www.entrepreneur.com/living/12-steps-to-help-manage-your-work-life-balance-on-the-go/231544
• ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolemartin1/2019/09/18/email-is-ruining-work-life-balance-for-millennials-studies-show/?sh=299e0cd41ce0
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2021/05/23/why-taking-vacation-time-could-save-your-life/?sh=20915fcc24de
• ↑ https://www.mhanational.org/work-life-balance
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/06/23/how-to-maintain-work-life-balance-when-working-from-home/?sh=5cd59ed76e89
• ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/simple-tips-to-tackle-working-from-home/#1
• ↑ https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/things-that-people-who-work-from-home-can-do-to-signal-the-end-of-the-day-217678
• ↑ https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/employee-relations/working-home-kids-how-to-manage-impossible
• ↑ https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-block-websites-chrome-firefox-ios-android/
• ↑ https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/working-from-home-with-kids-making-it-work-184328

About This Article

To separate your personal and professional life, try to work or study in a specific place, such as a library or home office, so you can leave your work behind when you're finished for the day. Additionally, avoid sacrificing your hobbies by including your regular club meeting or other activity in your weekly schedule just as you would with a professional task. You'll also want to learn to say no in a positive way so you can turn down work when you have other plans, such as by saying "That sounds like a great idea, but…" For tips on how to manage your personal and professional presence on social media, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Balancing Personal And Professional Life: Harnessing Ambition In Careers

Pursuing ambitious career goals can be a rewarding and exciting journey. However, ambition may sometimes get out of hand, causing excessive stress and having detrimental effects on other key areas of life. While career aspirations can be crucial, it can also be essential to tend to your personal life and overall well-being.

Learning to harness ambition while preserving your mental and emotional well-being can be advantageous to making positive changes. You can use a few strategies and practices to achieve the sought-after equilibrium between your personal and professional lives, such as setting realistic goals and learning effective time management techniques. With these insights and practical tips, you can gain tools to navigate the challenges that may arise and create a harmonious blend of ambition and personal fulfillment.

Understanding ambition in careers

Ambition refers to the strong desire to accomplish a goal. It can be a driving force to fuel your yearning for growth and achievement in your career. It can push you to dream big, set goals, and take action to reach new heights. As a positive attribute, ambition can propel individuals forward and motivate them to excel. However, it can be crucial to differentiate between healthy and excessive ambition.

What is healthy ambition?

Healthy ambition often stems from a genuine passion for one’s work and a desire to make a positive impact. It can involve setting realistic goals and striving for personal and professional growth to serve your overall well-being. 

What is excessive ambition?

Contrarily, excessive ambition can lead to chronic stress, burnout, strained relationships, and neglect of your personal life. The implications of burnout can be detrimental to your mental and physical health and overall career satisfaction.

How to balance your ambition

Striking the right balance between ambition and personal well-being can require introspection and self-awareness. When you understand your values, priorities, and the potential consequences of unchecked ambition on overall happiness and fulfillment, you can begin to create a framework for healthy ambition in your career. 

You can also establish boundaries that will help prevent ambition from getting out of hand. Taking proactive steps toward realizing your dreams while ensuring you balance ambition can set the stage for improved health, productivity, and career satisfaction.

The benefits of achieving work-life balance

Before looking at strategies for harnessing ambition while maintaining a work-life balance, examining the benefits of achieving such equilibrium may be helpful. Work-life balance is a buzzword and can be a crucial component of your overall well-being. You may encounter several positive outcomes when you achieve a healthy balance between your personal and professional lives. 

Work-life balance can improve your mental and emotional health significantly. You may experience reduced stress levels, increased happiness, and improved physical health by being able to tend to other crucial areas of life besides work—such as sleep, exercise, and healthy eating habits. 

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance can also strengthen relationships. By prioritizing quality time with loved ones and nurturing social connections, you may build stronger bonds and create a support system that sustains you during challenging moments. Additionally, balancing your personal and professional lives may allow you to pursue hobbies, interests, and self-care practices that recharge you.

Seven strategies for balancing personal and professional life

Exploring practical strategies for harnessing ambition while maintaining harmony between your personal and professional lives may also be helpful. You don’t have to have a certain salary or success to start balancing your life. You can have unlimited access to well-being when you are able to strike a balance between your ambition in your career and your personal goals. 

1. Define your career ambitions and personal goals

To ensure that your career ambitions aren’t unrealistic, you can map out a plan for achieving your career goals in a realistic timeframe while incorporating objectives that consider your personal values and priorities. Your plan can include short-term and long-term goals in various areas of your life to help you stay balanced. 

2. Practice time management

Effective time management can be essential for achieving and maintaining work-life balance. You can allocate ample amounts of time for your career pursuits while dedicating time to yourself, your relationships, and your other interests outside of work. Many time management techniques and tools are available, such as the Pomodoro Technique, time blocking, and the Getting Things Done process, so you may consider trying different methods to find what works best for you. 

3. Establish boundaries

Boundaries are often crucial to achieving balance and preserving your mental health. Establishing clear boundaries between work and personal time may prevent work from encroaching on your personal life. These boundaries can look different for each person but might include limitations around responding to emails at certain times or bringing work home in the evenings.

4. Learn when to say no

Ambitious people may be tempted to accept all the new challenges and opportunities that come their way. While embracing growth and seizing opportunities can be valuable, learning to say no can also be vital for achieving work-life balance. Assess each new request or opportunity according to your goals and priorities. If it doesn't align with your ambitions or disrupts your work-life balance, it can be acceptable to decline politely.

5. Build a supportive network

A supportive network of family, friends, mentors, and colleagues can be invaluable in helping you to achieve and maintain work-life balance in a healthy way. Surrounding yourself with people who lift you up and spending time with those you love can help you find joy, gain perspective, feel supported, and stay motivated. 

6. Practice self-care

Self-care is an often overlooked but essential part of achieving and maintaining balance, and it can support you in avoiding self-criticism. Taking time out of your day to engage in activities that bring you joy, nourish your body, or allow you to relax can restore energy levels, reduce stress, and improve productivity. Self-care can come in many forms, such as meditation, exercise, adequate sleep, healthy eating, and deep breathing. 

7. Find a sense of purpose

Staying connected to your values and maintaining perspective on the bigger picture can also be vital for cultivating balance in your life. When you are connected to energy more significant than yourself, your ambitions can become part of a mission that gives your work and life purpose, meaning, and fulfillment.

Support options 

Finding a balance between your personal and professional lives may be easier said than done. You may find support in this area by speaking to a therapist. However, if you are experiencing burnout or stress, making time for another commitment, such as therapy, may be challenging. With online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp, you can meet with a therapist wherever you have internet, which can make it easier to fit into busy schedules. 

Talking to an online therapist may help you gain valuable insights and guidance that empower you to achieve meaningful balance in your life. With a licensed therapist, you can discuss underlying concerns, clarify your goals, and develop a plan for achieving harmony between your personal and professional lives. You can choose between phone, video, or live chat sessions and access resources like articles and group sessions through an online platform. 

Various dynamics and challenges can be involved when balancing ambition in your personal and professional life. Research has shown the effectiveness of online therapy for a range of concerns. For instance, a 2023 study published in World Psychiatry found that internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be as effective as in-person CBT for a range of psychiatric and somatic disorders. 

Developing strategies that work for you, such as goal-setting, boundary-setting, and self-care, can help create a life of balance and fulfillment. Ambition is a powerful force that can propel you to great heights, but it can also be crucial to ensure your journey is sustainable and fulfilling. Consider contacting a therapist online or in your area to learn more about these goals.

• Balancing Ambition And Well-Being: Strategies For Achieving Success Without Burnout Medically reviewed by April Justice , LICSW
• From Goal Setting To Achievement: Examples Of Ambition In Career Success Medically reviewed by Paige Henry , LMSW, J.D.
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Manage Your Work, Manage Your Life

• Boris Groysberg
• Robin Abrahams

Zero in on what really matters.

Reprint: R1403C

Senior executives have discovered through hard experience that prospering at their level is a matter of carefully combining work and home so as not to lose themselves, their loved ones, or their foothold on success. To learn how they reconcile their professional and personal lives, the authors drew on five years’ worth of interviews with almost 4,000 executives worldwide, conducted by students at Harvard Business School, and a survey of 82 executives in an HBS leadership course. The stories and advice of these leaders reflect five main themes: defining success for yourself, managing technology, building support networks at work and at home, traveling or relocating selectively, and collaborating with your partner.

Some intriguing gender differences emerged in the survey data. For example, men still think of their family responsibilities in terms of breadwinning, whereas women often see theirs as role modeling for their children. And male executives tend to praise their partners for making positive contributions to their careers, whereas women praise theirs for not interfering. Executives of both sexes consider the tension between work and family to be primarily a woman’s problem, and most of them believe that one can’t compete in the global marketplace while leading a “balanced” life. “Earnestly trying to focus,” the authors conclude, “is what will see them through.”

Work/life balance is at best an elusive ideal and at worst a complete myth, today’s senior executives will tell you. But by making deliberate choices about which opportunities they’ll pursue and which they’ll decline, rather than simply reacting to emergencies, leaders can and do engage meaningfully with work, family, and community. They’ve discovered through hard experience that prospering in the senior ranks is a matter of carefully combining work and home so as not to lose themselves, their loved ones, or their foothold on success. Those who do this most effectively involve their families in work decisions and activities. They also vigilantly manage their own human capital, endeavoring to give both work and home their due—over a period of years, not weeks or days.

• BG Boris Groysberg is a professor of business administration in the Organizational Behavior unit at Harvard Business School and a faculty affiliate at the school’s Race, Gender & Equity Initiative. He is the coauthor, with Colleen Ammerman, of Glass Half-Broken: Shattering the Barriers That Still Hold Women Back at Work (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021). bgroysberg
• Robin Abrahams is a research associate at Harvard Business School.

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Corporate Wellness

Balancing work and personal life: strategies for success.

In today's fast-paced world, maintaining a balance between work and personal life is crucial for overall well-being and professional success. This article delves into practical strategies to help you navigate the demands of your career while ensuring personal fulfillment.

Understanding the Importance of Balance

A harmonious work-life balance is essential for physical, emotional, and mental health. It helps reduce stress, prevent burnout, and promote a sense of well-being. When you achieve balance, you're likely to experience increased productivity, improved relationships, and greater job satisfaction.

Setting Boundaries and Prioritizing

Setting clear boundaries is vital. This means establishing limits on work hours and being firm about your personal time. Prioritization is also key. Identify your most important tasks and allocate time accordingly, ensuring that both professional responsibilities and personal commitments receive the attention they deserve.

Effective Time Management

Effective time management is the cornerstone of balancing work and personal life. Utilize tools and techniques like to-do lists, calendars, and time-blocking to organize your schedule efficiently. Avoid multitasking, as it can lead to decreased productivity and increased stress.

Embracing Flexibility

Adaptability is crucial in achieving work-life balance. This could mean flexible working hours, telecommuting options, or simply being open to adjust your plans as needed. Flexibility allows you to respond to life's unpredictabilities without sacrificing your responsibilities.

Integrating Wellness into Daily Life

Integrating wellness practices into your routine is essential. This includes regular exercise, healthy eating, adequate sleep, and mindfulness activities like meditation or yoga. Prioritizing your health helps you to stay energized and focused, both at work and at home.

Utilizing Technology Wisely

Technology, when used wisely, can be a boon for managing work-life balance. Utilize apps and digital tools for task management, but be cautious of technology overuse, which can blur the lines between work and personal life.

Cultivating a Support Network

A strong support network of family, friends, and colleagues can provide emotional support and practical help. Don't hesitate to delegate tasks or share responsibilities both at work and at home.

Regular Self-Reflection

Regularly reflect on your work-life balance. Assess what's working and what's not, and be prepared to make changes. This continual process of evaluation and adjustment is key to maintaining balance over the long term.

Seeking Professional Guidance

Sometimes, professional guidance can be invaluable in achieving balance. A coach or counselor can provide personalized strategies and support.

Balancing work and personal life is an ongoing journey. It requires a commitment to self-care, prioritization, and adaptability. By employing these strategies, you can enjoy a fulfilling professional life while nurturing your personal well-being.

If you're seeking professional guidance to enhance your wellness practices, Global Healthcare Resources offers expert consulting. Visit Global Healthcare Resources - Wellness Consulting to explore how they can assist you in achieving a harmonious work-life balance.

How to Set and Achieve Wellness Goals in the Workplace

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The Balancing Professional Duty and Personal Life Essay

The act of balancing professional duty and personal life is always a delicate matter for most people. This is especially when it comes to those who work in the healthcare industry. This is due to the long working hours, the concentration required, and the high stakes involved.

Notably, physicians have a strong desire to have a great work-life balance. Essentially, work-life balance is the satisfaction in all spheres of one’s life.

This includes professional and personal life, as well as all other areas such as professional development and recreational activities among others. Having this balance has certain advantages in that it makes one more efficient and focused (Berry, par. 2).

In the event that a physician is always unhappy, has stress from home, or his/her schedule does not reflect a balance among the many activities that take place in his/her life, such a physician is likely to suffer depression, reduced levels of performance, as well as conflict with colleagues and family.

Such level of stress and tiredness is likely to trigger an urge to change careers among most physicians. These physicians find no happiness or fulfillment from the work. Despite the low number of women in leadership, the health care industry has a significant number of women in leadership positions.

From a survey carried out in 2007, the healthcare sector had 22.1% of CEOs as women while the other 77.9% were men.

Another study undertaken by the University of Michigan sought to determine the sex of administrators in US hospitals. The results found that about a quarter (24%) of senior administrators were female (Poppe par. 5).

This new increase can be attributed to the fact that women are now having children after climbing the ladder of management. However, the numbers are still significantly lower than that of men. In this case, rising to the top requires a lot of dedication and sacrifices at a personal level.

Women have to take a maternity leave, which often disadvantages them as they have to catch up with their male colleagues. However, with the continued introduction of reform measures seeking to facilitate work-life balance for most women, the future portends several benefits to women.

In this regard, they will be able to compete on a level ground for management in the health care industry (Silverman par. 3).

Works Cited

Berry, Emily. Achieving work-life balance: More than just a juggling act . 2010. Web.

Poppe, Crystal. Does the Glass Ceiling Still Exist for Women CEOs in Healthcare? 2011. Web.

Silverman, Rachel. Jack Welch: “No Such Thing as Work-Life Balance” . 2009. Web.

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Balancing Your Personal and Professional Lives

• First Online: 01 September 2023

Cite this chapter

• Neil Baum 4 ,
• Marc J. Kahn 5 &
• Jeffery Daigrepont 6  

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Doctors are highly motivated to be effective in their professional life but maintaining a balance with their personal lives is a challenge for all of us. How you maintain this balance will ultimately determine not only your success as a physician but also your happiness. It is common to occasionally feel discouraged about various aspects of your practice, such as the vast amount of paperwork that must be completed to care for your patients or the continued decrease in reimbursements impacting nearly every practice. Most of our colleagues are experiencing the same feelings about their practices. It is easy to become discouraged after talking to physicians who complain about their practices and complain that their family suffers because the practice consumes so much of their time. Let's remember that medicine is a noble profession that provides great satisfaction and gratification and that all that doctors need to do to be happy is to find techniques for putting balance into their careers. This chapter will discuss 10+ suggestions that may help balance the scale between your personal and professional life. Physicians who read this chapter will gain new insight into achieving balance in their practices and balance in their personal lives.

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Kesselheim J, Johnson J, Joffe S. Pediatricians report on their education in ethics. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(4):368–73.

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Further Readings

Cousins N. The anatomy of an illness as perceived by the patient. W.W. Norton; 1979.

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Kushner H. When bad things happen to good people. Random House; 1981.

Friedman T. Thanks for being late. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux; 2017.

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Baum, N., Kahn, M.J., Daigrepont, J. (2023). Balancing Your Personal and Professional Lives. In: The Business of Building and Managing a Healthcare Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37623-8_25

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Tips To Help You Maintain Balance in Life

Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Karen Cilli is a fact-checker for Verywell Mind. She has an extensive background in research, with 33 years of experience as a reference librarian and educator.

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There's a lot of information out there about finding balance in all things. Ideally, to maintain balance, we have a mix of work and play, of things we have to do and things we want to do, of things that drain us and things that feed us.

We also need to carve out enough time for sleep, relationships that sustain us , exercise, healthy meals, and other life-affirming activities in our lives so we don't drown in only work and chores. But what does maintaining balance look like?

Maintaining Balance, Literally

Sometimes maintaining balance can be messy. Even when we find overall balance in our lives, there are going to be times when we are overloaded, times when we realize we need to pare down, and times when we can't pare down right away, but can work toward greater balance in the near future. If you find yourself in that position, don't stress about it ; that's part of maintaining balance, too.

To illustrate this point, try balancing on one foot. Do you notice that you sometimes find yourself leaning in one direction and, in order not to fall, have to right yourself by leaning in the opposite direction? If you just stayed perfectly still, you'd fall.

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Hosted by Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast , featuring "Fast & Furious" actress Jordan Brewster, shares therapist-approved strategies such as creating a work-life balance that suits your needs and choosing the wellness tips that actually work for you. Click below to listen now.

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Maintaining balance isn't about staying perfectly still; it's about recognizing when you're getting out of balance, and righting yourself. Keeping your balance isn't a one-time thing, but a consistent effort.

There are times when you need to adjust slightly to be back in balance, and other times when you need to adjust quite a bit. You might notice signs that you are getting out of balance such as starting to feel exhausted or even sick, which can be a sign that you need to listen to your body and your emotions.

Staying in balance looks different for everyone. Everyone has different needs for balance, different variables that work within their lives, different levels of tolerance for imbalance, and different resources available.

How Do You Know Your Life Is Off-Balance?

You'll want to pay attention to signs of burnout. Burnout results from things like chronic stress , perfectionism , dissatisfaction with your job or relationships, and generally just not taking enough time away from your busy schedule.

Signs of burnout include:

• Emotionally distancing yourself from people
• Exhaustion (physical or emotional)
• Feeling irritable , annoyed, angry, or sad
• Feeling numb
• Headaches or stomachaches
• Reduced performance

If you find that you're dreading more things in your life than you are looking forward to, you may be experiencing burnout. While most of us experience burnout from time to time, you can view it as an opportunity to recalibrate and reprioritize what makes you happy and more relaxed.

Strategies to Maintain Balance in Life

The following are some strategies that can help you achieve the balance in life that you're looking for.

Take a Break

Research shows that taking breaks from work and even from personal commitments helps refuel energy and promote well-being. While it's beneficial to take mental health days and vacations, remember that taking even five minutes during your day to listen to music, watch a funny video, or simply relax can help you get back in balance.

Just Say No

Think about all the things you need to do. Which ones do you want to do, and which ones do you have to do? Ideally, there should be a mix of both in order to keep balance in all things.

First, see if there are any "have to" items you can cross off of your list. (Ask yourself: What things are the most beneficial to my well-being? ) Second, be sure that all of your "want to" items really bring you joy and feed you emotionally.

You might find that saying no to yourself and others is challenging, especially if you're not used to it. But saying no for the sake of your well-being is a reflection of emotional intelligence (EQ). In fact, research shows that people with high EQ levels have a higher quality of mental health and increased job performance.

Set Boundaries

Setting boundaries is something that can help you in saying no and it's an important part of having relationships in general. It's also a method of safeguarding your emotional and physical space so that you carry less stress around and don't feel responsible for the feelings of others.

If you want to create a boundary, start by telling someone how something they're doing makes you feel and ask for what you need from them instead.

For instance, if a family member keeps asking you to do favors for them, you can say, "It makes me feel overwhelmed when I take on your responsibilities in addition to my own. I need some space right now from doing things for you so I can focus on myself."

Ask For Help

It can sometimes be easier for an outsider—someone who is not you—to see when you're getting out of balance and recognize what you can do to get some balance back. Everything in your busy schedule may seem vital (and sometimes it is), but if there's something that you can let go of safely, it's often a good friend, close relative, or spouse who can help you recognize that.

If you don't have that kind of supportive person in your life, it may be worth finding help from a professional, such as a therapist or life coach.

Professionals have an arsenal of resources to help you to manage your stress. Therapists and other mental health professionals can also help you change negative thought patterns and learn adaptive coping strategies that can help reduce stress.

Cope With Stress

There are some ongoing strategies that you can practice daily to keep yourself from losing balance, or to manage stress when you're already out of balance. Some effective steps include:

• Delegating tasks  
• Letting go of perfectionism
• Practicing mindfulness , deep breathing , and/or meditation

These strategies can help you maintain internal emotional balance as well as balance in life.

Finding Balance for All Ages

The challenges you face that keep you from finding balance could be related to your life stage. The following are tips that people of all ages can use to find balance:

• Teenagers : When you're a teen, you might find it hard to balance school and a social life. Try developing a routine—such as packing a healthy lunch the day before school, getting your homework done right away, and studying for tests ahead of time. Choose your friends wisely and spend your time around people who make you happy and support your well-being.
• Adults : As an adult, you might find yourself torn between working and spending time with family and friends. Make time for both, but engage in plenty of self-care so you don't burn out. Remember that you need to prioritize your own health and happiness first.
• Older adults : Focus on the things that matter most to you. It's never "too late" to find new hobbies or relationships that bring you joy. Take care of your mental and physical health as much as possible. Remember, it's OK to ask for help when you need it.

Take Care of Your Physical Health

Studies show that sleep , nutrition , and exercise play a huge role in our mental health and well-being. Remember to get enough sleep, eat a well-balanced diet, and get physical exercise into your routine.

Remember, your diet and exercise regimens should be attainable and realistic for you. Try not to restrict foods to punish yourself, but rather, appreciate the foods that you eat and try to expand your diet to include more fruits and vegetables.

Likewise, your physical exercise doesn't need to be rigorous. Something as simple as walking around the block every day can count as physical exercise.

Do Things You Enjoy

Leisure time is a huge stress-reliever, and in general, it'll help make your life one that you enjoy living. Whether it's reading a book, watching a funny movie, or getting coffee with a friend, you'll find that your efforts to do the things you like help you maintain balance in all things.

A Word From Verywell

Maintaining the balance of life takes time and practice. The key is to keep finding ways to improve your mental well-being and cope with the stress that you face each day. Instead of waiting until you reach your breaking point, know when to take a break in order to avoid symptoms of burnout.

Frequently Asked Questions

People who don't have a work-life balance often experience additional stress. Stress is linked with mental health issues like anxiety and depression , and physical health issues like aches, pains, and fatigue.

Commit to a routine—try doing schoolwork at the same time every day, in a quiet place with no distractions. Spend time with friends and loved ones who support your well-being. Take care of your health by eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and making time for relaxation.

Work-life balance is generally considered worse for women than for men. Women are often expected to fulfill more family and home-related duties than men, adding more stress to their routines. In addition, women tend to report more career-related stress than men do.

Maslach C, Leiter MP.  Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry.   World Psychiatry . 2016;15(2):103–111. doi:10.1002/wps.20311

American Psychological Association. Give me a break .

Hinton AO Jr, McReynolds MR, Martinez D, Shuler HD, Termini CM. The power of saying no .  EMBO Rep . 2020;21(7):e50918. doi:10.15252/embr.202050918

National Alliance on Mental Health. Creating and maintaining healthy boundaries .

Chen JA, Gilmore AK, Wilson NL, et al. Enhancing stress management coping skills using induced affect and collaborative daily assessment .  Cogn Behav Pract . 2017;24(2):226-244. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2016.04.001

American Psychological Association. Stress management for leaders responding to a crisis .

Kelly JD 4th. Your best life: Perfectionism--The bane of happiness .  Clin Orthop Relat Res . 2015;473(10):3108-3111. doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4279-9

Janssen M, Heerkens Y, Kuijer W, van der Heijden B, Engels J. Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on employees' mental health: A systematic review .  PLoS One . 2018;13(1):e0191332. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0191332

Bartlett MJ, Arslan FN, Bankston A, Sarabipour S. Ten simple rules to improve academic work-life balance .  PLoS Comput Biol . 2021;17(7):e1009124. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009124

Gillsjö C, Nyström M, Palmér L, Carlsson G, Dalheim-Englund AC, Eriksson I. Balance in life as a prerequisite for community-dwelling older adults' sense of health and well-being after retirement: an interview-based study .  Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being . 2021;16(1):1984376. doi:10.1080/17482631.2021.1984376

Briguglio M, Vitale JA, Galentino R, et al. Healthy eating, physical activity, and sleep hygiene (HEPAS) as the winning triad for sustaining physical and mental health in patients at risk for or with neuropsychiatric disorders: Considerations for clinical practice .  Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat . 2020;16:55-70. doi:10.2147/NDT.S229206

Qian XL, Yarnal CM, Almeida DM. Does leisure time moderate or mediate the effect of daily stress on positive affect? An examination using eight-day diary data .  J Leis Res . 2014;46(1):106-124. doi:10.1080/00222216.2014.11950315

Mariotti A. The effects of chronic stress on health: new insights into the molecular mechanisms of brain-body communication .  Future Sci OA . 2015;1(3):FSO23. doi:10.4155/fso.15.21

Pace F, Sciotto G. Gender differences in the relationship between work–life balance, career opportunities and general health perception . Sustainability. 2021;14(1):357. doi:10.3390/su14010357

By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

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Professional and Personal Life Success: A Popular Topic of IELTS Essay Writing

To score a good band in the Writing Task of IELTS, you need to have a cool head to do better brainstorming to ideas for the given topic. The topic may be hard, but you can always break down the task into manageable parts.

Two samples are provided in this blog, which will guide you to have a better understanding of the essay writing format

IELTS Writing Sample 1

Balancing career and personal life is linked to an individual and is different considering personal circumstances for each workplace. With the individual alone, the responsibility for achieving it lies alone. Define what it means to you to have a perfect balance. Understand that, apart from the monthly paycheck, the need to work is often powered by a need for fulfilment. A desire to enjoy life, which most pursue through relationships and other leisurely activities, is another primary power.

Included Facts or Examples

List all the things you want to do and write them down. That list should contain both your personal life achievements and your Professional Life achievements. What do you want to achieve in both these aspects of your life? Then try to analyze your life, now. Is your life on a course that will take you to your long-term goals, the amount of work and life outside? Then, pick modifications which might allow you to get where you want to be.

Setting targets forces you to reflect on the things of life and career that truly matter to you. These priorities could fall into a number of buckets, including families, wellness, work, travel, volunteerism, fellowship, and more.

ALSO READ: IELTS Writing Task Essay Evaluation by an Expert: Guide to Improve Your Writing Score

Wrap up Your Essay

Take a step back and ask yourself: Where am I now, and in three or six months, where am I going to be? Document these priorities, create a roadmap to fulfill them, and then imagine successful achievement. Understand what you are dedicated to over the long run, and then recognize two to three things on a regular basis that can help you shift the progress in that area.  Use time effectively, and then you’ll find yourself doing and achieving even more.

IELTS Essay Sample 2

A lack of balance between personal and professional life often leads to fatigue, a condition that involves emotional exhaustion, dissociative episodes of relationships, patients and jobs, lowered sense of achievement and can be related to efficiency decreases performance and poor health. So, how do we do it? How do we get the balance, which can make our professional and personal life successful?

Required to maintain fluency between private and professional life is known as the balance of work life.

Include Examples or Facts

Take your spouse or at least your non-working buddies to organize a vacation. Take a break from your everyday life and promise yourself that throughout the break you won’t take up work-related actions.

Maintaining a group of mates based on non-work. Otherwise, all you’re going to chat about every time you meet up with your mates will be start-ups, fundraising, TechCircle reports, etc. You need a circle that will also keep you involved in other activities. Whether it’s sports, video games, movies, hopping for food or something else you would like.

ALSO READ Advantage Disadvantage IELTS Essay Topics: Sample Questions and Answers for Better Preparation

Your family and friends are the ones who help you survive these rough times of business. What is the joy of doing a secret project only to break ties with your loved ones? Plan to meet them, arrange a visit or call for a weekend, whatever you want. But for your personal life, don’t just miss out. Hobbies will give you a nice lonely time. Painting, reading, music, dancing, sports, remember to make time for them, whatever you want.

A hobby will do the same thing a beach does, unwinding you and relieving you from any excessive tension. A hobby will encourage you to communicate with the child inside you.

We miss out on our exercise routines in the race for start-up duties. Take time to exercise, stroll, run and enjoy nutritious meals.

IELTS Writing Task 2

IELTS Writing Task 2 expects you to write a minimum of 250 words. You will be given a point and will be tried on your capacity to react by offering and defending an input, talking about the theme, summing up subtleties, illustrating issues , distinguishing potential arrangements and supporting what you compose with reasons, contentions and important models from your own insight or experience.

The evaluation of Task 2 conveys more weight in marking than Task 1. Writing contents are checked in depth by skilled and certificated IELTS examiners, who all hold important teaching capabilities and are enrolled as analysts by the test places and affirmed by the British Council or IDP IELTS Australia.

Essay writing in IELTS exam can be facile and done right if you follow the right format. If you practice both the opinions on an essay which is called “agree or disagree”, you will have a wider knowledge on certain topics. Writing tasks can be the category to score good marks for you if you’re dedicated enough to the topics and practice regularly.

Practice IELTS Mock Tests in IELTS Ninja and get a good score band in all the categories

Also Read: 100 IELTS Essay Questions and Topics: Way to Achieve Band 9 in IELTS Exam

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Balancing Your Personal and Professional Lives

Doctors are forever making an effort to balance their personal and professional lives. This is a challenge that confronts every physician during their careers. This article provides 10 suggestions that will hopefully make the balancing act at least a little easier.

Introduction

Doctors are highly motivated to be effective in their professional lives, but maintaining a balance with their personal lives is a challenge for all of us. How you maintain this balance will ultimately determine not only your success but also your happiness. I have noted that occasionally I feel discouraged about various aspects of medical care, such as the vast amount of paperwork I must complete in order to care for my patients or the continued decrease in reimbursements we are all experiencing. When I meet with my colleagues, I know that many are experiencing the same feelings about their practices. I get very discouraged when I hear doctors talking about leaving practice when this should be the most productive and enjoyable aspect of their career or when they state that they wouldn't recommend that their children or family enter the medical profession. I still believe that medicine is the most noble profession that provides the greatest satisfaction and gratification and that all we need to do is to find techniques of putting balance into our careers. This article provides 10 suggestions that may help level the scale between your personal and professional life. It is my intention that all physicians who read this article will have gained new insight into achieving balance in their practices and balance in their personal lives.

1. Always Be a Student

Medicine is a lifelong commitment to learning. No doctor can be on top of his or her game if he or she is still using only the knowledge and skills learned when completing his or her education or training. Balance is achieved if you continue the lifelong pursuit of knowledge. A medical career is a journey and not a destination. You should always make time to be a student for your entire career. Sir William Osler, honorary professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, recommended to physicians and students at the end of the 19th century: “In order to receive the education of not a scholar, at least of a gentleman, you should read for a half hour before you go to sleep, and in the morning have a book open on your dressing table. You will be surprised how much can be accomplished in the course of a year.” 1

2. Be Ethical

A recent report in a pediatric journal 2 stated, in regard to pediatricians that “44.7% rated their ethics education during residency as fair or poor.” Most of us have received very little training in medical ethics. All of us have or will be faced with making ethical decisions on behalf of our patients. Examples include end-of-life care, AIDS care, care for underaged patients (children), release of sensitive information, and termination of the physician-patient relationship. Balance in our lives includes making the right ethical decisions at the right times on behalf of our patients. Perhaps the best advice I can offer when confronted with an ethical issue is to do what is in the best interest of the patient and you will probably make the right decision. Most state licensing boards now require that continuing medical education include regular courses in ethics. Regard this not as a burden but rather as an opportunity to look at your patients and your profession from a different and balanced angle.

3. Take Active Control of Your Finances

Most young doctors today enter practice with nearly $250,000 of debt, which will take years to pay off. However, balance comes from financial security at the end of your career when you can practice because you truly enjoy the practice of medicine, not because you have to work. In order to have that security and that balance, I recommend that you start the saving process early. Even in the face of daunting debt, you need to start a savings plan for your children's education and for your retirement.

4. Learn to Say “No”

There is no faster road to burnout than taking on too many projects and accepting too many responsibilities. The next time you are called to join a hospital committee, to become a member of a board in the community, or to accept an invitation for an evening dinner, ask yourself these questions: Will the obligation enhance my career? Will the commitment take away from my time with my family and friends? Will this obligation lead to balance or imbalance in my life? If the answer is that you aren't furthering your career and if it distracts from your family time, then you should probably turn down these requests. Remember it is not a sin to say “no.”

5. Set Your Priorities

Most physicians who have balance in their lives place their religion, their family, and then their practice in that order of importance in their lives. Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People , 3 pointed out that “he never met a man on his deathbed who said he wished he spent one more day at the office.” The phrase “ or saw one more patient ” could easily be added. This is good advice, and it is never too late to spend one more day with your significant other, your children, and your grandchildren.

6. Find a Niche

Ross Perot described success as finding an unmet need, becoming an expert, and filling that unmet need. If you can do that, others will be knocking on your door to be your patients or to do business with you. It is amazing how successful you can be if you focus your energies on a single area of interest or expertise.

7. Hang Out with People One Generation Older or Younger than Yourself

If you are a young, new physician, then meet older, more seasoned doctors who can show you the ropes, share their valuable experiences, and give you wise counsel when you need it. If you are an older physician, hang out with the Gen Xers. This contact with younger people can keep you current, keep you energized, and keep you on top of your game. My advice is to balance your friendships.

8. Exceed Patients' Expectations

To truly enjoy your medical practice, it is important to not just meet patients' expectations but to go beyond what is expected and exceed those expectations. I suggest that you adhere to “the extra mile philosophy.” This philosophy requires you to go the extra distance for your patients, to exceed their expectations, to provide a little more than other doctors. And your patients will remember you for it. Many businesses, from office product suppliers to upscale department stores, have found that providing deluxe services to their customers ensures that those customers will keep coming back. A medical practice is no different from other businesses in this respect. In today's health care market, it is very difficult to compete on price—they can't cut our Medicare reimbursements any further. What you can do is to make sure you're filling your appointment book. This can be accomplished by asking two questions: (1) What do patients want? (give them more of it), and (2) What do patients not want? (make every effort to avoid it). It's just that simple.

9. Be a Disciplined Doer and A Decider, Not a Procrastinator

Nothing adds more anxiety to our lives than having deadlines and commitments that we are having trouble meeting. If you have several projects looming in the future, break them down into smaller projects and make a calendar marking off the completion of these little projects. That way you won't be left with a huge project with only days to complete it. Discipline can bring balance to the busy professional: clean out your inbox, fill up your outbox, complete your medical records before the delinquency notice arrives, and look for an end point to your day. There will be a new set of mail, results, and problems tomorrow, and a clean slate creates a balanced perspective. Confront those challenging decisions: a professional who can decide in a few minutes to recommend a radical extirpative cancer operation to a relative stranger ought to be able to decide about the new 3-year lease with a few days' reflection.

10. And Finally, Have Fun

The best advice to achieve balance is to take your profession seriously, but not yourself. Find ways to inject a little humor into your daily activities. Start your day by listening to a humor CD of Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Cosby, or an old Abbott and Costello routine. A smile is the shortest distance between two people. Let us not forget that medicine is the most enjoyable profession and it can be the most fun and rewarding, especially if we add a little humor.

Bottom Line

No one ever said medicine was easy or fun. But it can be both and even more if you have made an effort to balance your professional and personal lives. It can be done; just follow these 10 suggestions.

• Osler W. Aequanimitas with Other Addresses to Medical Students, Nurses and Practitioners of Medicine. London: H.K. Lewis; 1904. pp. 1–11. [ Google Scholar ]
• Kesselheim J. C., Johnson J., Joffe S. Pediatricians' reports of their education in ethics. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008; 162 :368–373. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kushner H. S. When Bad Things Happen to Good People. New York: Random House; 2004. [ Google Scholar ]

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Balancing academic and personal life

Resources and advice on finding the right balance between academic and personal life.

Work-life balance

Starting a new degree, whether that be undergraduate or postgraduate, comes with a lot of unknowns, especially when moving to a new country where you also have to find new friends, new hobbies, and potentially a job.

This also puts a lot of pressure on finding the right balance between academic and personal life . Focusing too much on studying might mean losing out on social life and hobbies, but equally spending too much time on social activities may affect your grades.

It is therefore important to find a balance that can allow you to stay on top of your academic life, while pursuing the things that you enjoy, or even working part-time. While this can feel difficult there are steps that you can take.

Theoretical Perspective

Theoretical perspective Work-life balance as a concept can broadly be understood as managing to effectively accomplish your work or studies requirements, while maintaining a social life, personal interests and hobbies (Venezia & Jaeger, 2013). Coming to a new university as an international student can make keeping this kind of balance difficult, as you learn how to navigate your new different academic system. For example, you might find that for many of your courses most of the work is self-structured, which can be especially demanding when it comes to establishing your workload balance. It might be tempting to either invest all your time in your academic life, or spend most of your time on social activities. However, this can be problematic, as poor work-life balance is shown to negatively affect your wellbeing. People who don’t dedicate time for social activities outside their work or study, have been shown to be less productive than people who have a healthy balance (Ong & Ramia, 2007).

Ong, D., & Ramia, G. (2009). Study-work-life balance and the welfare of international students. Labour & Industry: a journal of the social and economic relations of work, 20(2), 181-206.

Venezia, A., Jaeger, L. (2013) Transitions from High School to College. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1015237.pdf

Context for scholars

Travelling to a new country to start university already comes with a lot of challenges, and a lot of new things that you have to do on top of navigating a different academic system. You might also be feeling a pressure to live up to expectations that come with being a scholarship student and the need to excel in your studies.

Such feelings are normal, and it is important to acknowledge them. However, to allow yourself to experience the scholarship experience as being truly transformational, it is important to remember the following three points:

• Research shows that people who have a healthy work-life are shown to perform better in their academic life
• Life is easier if you manage to find something that makes your new home country feel like home, whether this is a hobby or new friendships
• Every experience you have (including spending time with friends, hobbies, sports, etc.) helps to shape you into a well-rounded individual

Practical suggestions

• Make priorities.   Figure out what things are most important to you – it can even be a good idea to make a list.  This can help you spend time on things that are important to you. This might also involve sometimes saying no to things that are not high on your list of priorities.
• Manage your time.   Planning your time and setting a schedule is a good way to have a healthy balance. 
• Plan your free time. Make sure you plan things to do during the weekends and try to spend your time creatively when you are not working.
• Choose a quiet place for working .  When you have scheduled time for work, try to avoid distractions such as social media, TV, and so forth. 
• Talk with people if it becomes difficult.   There will be times when life seems difficult and overwhelming. In these cases, find someone to talk to. This can be friends, family, or seeking help from the university’s advice or counselling services. 

Mastercard foundation scholars’ experiences

Read and view, first-hand, experiences from Mastercard foundation scholars.

Photovoice book

When the pressure started getting too much, I tried becoming realistic with the use of my time. There's so much that is expected, so then naturally, you begin to prioritise. Mastercard scholar

Trying to find a new hobby that I should maybe try and develop as I look for other things. Because one thing I've been trying to understand in life is that you keep moving, that's inevitable. You are going to get a job. For some people you apply for one job and boom, they've got it or other people have to apply for many. It's just a matter of fixing all those aspects in life, but at the same time, trying to make the most of it now. Mastercard scholar

I'm trying to read more books. When I was in my master's degree, I couldn't read any novels and I used to love reading novels. I'm trying to go back into that. We were in a lockdown, so I didn't get to do some partying. I'm so ready for Halloween now. I've been planning my Halloween attire and so many different things. Instead of worrying about, "Oh my gosh, what's the next big step in my career?" I'm trying to live now because this is what I do have right in front of me.  Mastercard scholar

Useful links

Balancing My Social Life

Balancing Social Life and Academics | FamilyTutor

6 Ways to Balance Personal, Academic, and Professional Life | SmallBizClub

Balancing Academics, Social Life & Extracurricular Activities | The Jed Foundation

How to Balance Personal and Professional Life

Jun 13, 2020 | Business , Consulting , Education

Our lives are an amalgamation of many elements and numerous challenges. While the hurdles in life seem to play a roller coaster ride with us, one stumbling block for many is the work-life balance.  The thought of equilibrium between personal and professional life may seem like an uphill battle but there are a few ways to get close to the ideal work-life balance.

1.     Scheduling and Time Management

Scheduling events or having a calendar in place can take a lot off your plate given you stick to the schedule. Time blocks assigned for specific tasks can ensure you complete the work in time. Proper timetables, that you can create on your phones or jot down in a diary or even on an online cloud will keep you on track to fulfil the most important tasks and keep you from getting bogged down with trivial jobs at work or even at home.

2.     Understand Schedules of peers

You might have a well-defined plan for yourself and even adhere it to a T, but all such efforts go in vain when you are not able to work in collaboration with your team or peers. Conflicts at work can influence your personal life negatively. People with kids especially would need to understand the important crossovers situations and make informed decisions, i.e., “Is this meeting worth missing out on a birthday?” or “Is this movie worth it compared to a Sales Pitch session?”

3.     Prioritise your Health

The long hours at work or late-night extravaganzas on weekends can eventually overwhelm you in the long run. Neglecting your health could have dire consequences, that could disrupt your work or force you out of attending social events. Exercising daily or a few days in a week can get you closer to the physical activity your body requires. The type of exercise could be one that compliments your lifestyle, be it a jog in the park to yoga at a recreational centre or sweating it out in a gym. In addition to that, practicing meditation can bring down your stress levels and keep you mentally happy. A balanced diet also plays a vital role in keeping your body healthy.

4.     Shield your Passions

Sometimes the demands of work and personal life can drain you to an extent that you might want to take up the easier option of giving up on your hobbies. Giving up your passion or hobbies can eventually add to your stressors. Make an effort to continue doing things you enjoy, or hobbies you like such as painting, pottery, swimming et al. or even schedule them. This will help you shield your passions the same way you would for professional commitments or family obligations.

5.     Be Flexible

Sometimes the best laid out plans don’t pan out the way we expect. When home and work are competing for your time, it would require conscious decision making to devote time to the side with the greater need. Drawing boundaries such as not looking at a work mail at home are completely alright and sometimes checking that ‘urgent’ email in the middle of a date-night is also acceptable. Creating specific windows for social media, delegating work at home, or even at the office, taking breaks, and treating yourself after a hard day’s work and more can keep you sane. Boundaries and schedules are important but not at the cost of your mental health. Ensure that you know what and when to cut back on at work or what to take up at home and vice-versa.

There aren’t any rules in concrete, the balancing act takes practice and careful planning. Striking a balance between personal and professional life can help one reduce the likelihood of burnout and be more productive holistically. While one many argue that they might be the masters of keeping professional and personal lives ‘separate’, it is important to understand that it is not about the distance between the two rather the “balance” between the two, that matters.

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