Now that we’ve learned about work-life balance, why it matters, and how people see it these days, let’s talk about how to achieve it. One way to do this is by setting clear boundaries.
What is boundaries
Boundaries are something that makes us more present, not distracted, and give all the attention to what we care about. Without boundaries, work keeps expanding because there’s no stop time.
When our focus is split between work and our personal life. We are unable to devote ourselves to either fully. Imagine when we’re having dinner with family or friends while checking phones constantly, worried about the project and other tasks. We might think it’s a productive way to do two things at the same time. But actually, we’re not paying attention to either because we’re not being present.
After some time, it might seem like we’re always working and our work-life balance isn’t right even though we’re not getting more work done. It’s like we’re always working but there’s always more work left. This can be confusing and frustrating. So, here’s the step to make your boundaries more clear:
Define your boundaries
Don’t let someone define your boundaries, do it yourself. Because when you let someone else drive you, don’t be surprised if you don’t like the direction your time is taking. To do it, you need to make a visual of what condition you’re okay and not okay with.
‘Am I okay doing work after my work hours are done?’
‘Am I okay with canceling plans to work for an important client?’
‘Am I okay with missing dinner and bedtime stories with my kids, to talk on the phone with my boss?’
Then, put them into a decision and write it down to make them more real. Because it will be challenging to stick to boundaries when you’re not deciding and defining it. After that, communicate with your boss, clients, or team about it. And use automation apps if needed to make your workflow simpler and easier.
Doing after-work routine
After-work routine is a few simple steps that help you relax and switch off from work for the rest of your evening. For example, after-work routine is when you move from your workspace if you work from home. It’s like a ritual to end work and contributes as a 'commute' to separate between the workday and family time. Or, when you take off your outside shoes and put on slippers when you arrive home. It’s like a physical routine, so your mindset can shift from work mode to personal life mode.
Or if you’re a working mom, your after-work routine might include parking at daycare, opening up your email, and responding to each outstanding email with something like:
‘Hey there, I got your message, I’ll send you that first thing tomorrow’.
‘Hey there, I’d love to be your partner, I’ll send more information on how we can get started first thing tomorrow’.
Then, shift your mindset to time with your kids or family.