How To Balance Work and Life

When we go to work, we do a fantastic job and give it our all. Later, we come home, and we find ourselves working on our phones and our laptops. This post is all about creating a work boundary when we are at home and creating boundaries while working.

We need to follow our boundaries to feel better, healthier, and more confident. Ask yourself, how do you know that you’re taking work home? There are some common signs that you’re overworking yourself:

–      Lack of sleep

–      Skipping lunch while at work

–      Your relationships are sparse right now

–      Your spouse thinks you’re working too much

Create Boundaries at Home

One of the first boundaries can be giving yourself a set time to stop working. For example, let’s say that you work during the day from 8 am to 5 pm. What time are you going to stop working? In this example, maybe stop working at 6 pm. So, at 6 pm you will not answer your phone or laptop.

Also, when you enter your home, you need to have a designated place for your work items. That way, there’s a lesser chance that you are going to use them to work. For instance, when I get home, I put my work bag in the closet and my work phone on my desk. If I’m further away, then I’m less likely to pick them up. Sometimes when we have our phone us, we want to pick it up and mess around with it.

These boundaries are difficult to do. We need to look at what is important to us. Is work more important, or are our relationships more important to us? When you think about this question, you’ll most likely say your relationships are more important than work. That’s why it’s essential to think about how work could interfere with intimate relationships and personal friendships.

Create Boundaries at Work

While we are at work, we need to give ourselves breaks. There’s a difference between positive breaks and neutral breaks. A neutral break is when we put our laptop down, and we do nothing. A positive break is playing video games during a five-minute break. If I engage in an activity that increases my pleasure, then my mood will escalate. When my spirit is up, I’ll be more productive and involved at work. That simple example is something that we do in our personal lives too. Think of a time when you felt terrific; what did you do later? Most likely, you were productive and confident. When you go to work, make sure you have coping skills. If you’re not into video games, try reading a book to bring pleasure to work.

Visualization Time

When you get off work, take five to ten minutes to reflect. Think about the day. Imagine you have a counselor sitting next to you, and they are asking you specific questions:

–      How was work?

–      Did you have a good day?

–      Did you have a stressful day?

–      What is going to happen when you go home? Who is there? What are you going to do?

This way, you can address what took place at work. Then, you can start thinking about what you are about to engage in. You are creating a psychological boundary before you even exit the car. When you get home, you’ll be in a much more positive state of mind.

I dive deep into this topic on my YouTube Channel. You can watch the video here: How To Balance Work and Life.

Santos Counseling PLLC is located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Start your counseling journey, check out the amazing counselors, and see which one is a good fit for you here: https://santoscounseling.com.

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