With so many more people working from home than ever before, many have noticed an increase in blurred lines when it comes to maintaining a healthy work-life balance. For instance, more people are finding themselves taking phone calls past 6 o’clock and catching up on work on the weekends.
When these start to become habits, it can be a little bit difficult to get rid of these unhealthy routines so we at BOBO Marketing Services have put together three tips to help wean you off that 24/7 work mode!
1. Believe in the Data.
Society has come to believe that more is better, but when it comes to productivity that may in fact be false. In order for our behavior to change, we must first replace this inaccurate belief with a more realistic one. According to a Psychology Today article, workaholics may look like they’re getting more done but in actuality they are more apt to being less efficient. They also likely struggle to maintain focus. Not only that, but workaholism has shown to put an individual at an increased risk for depression and anxiety. So let’s replace the more-is-better mentality with an positive affirmation: “A healthy work-life balance leads to heightened productivity in the long run.”
2. Set Clear Boundaries.
The best way to maintain this balance is by implementing clear boundaries. Set a cut-off time for when work is finished — no matter what! For instance, although you can’t turn off your phone, you can screen them. Or better yet, there are plenty of apps like Line 2 that offer a seperate phone line for an affordable price. Another behavior that blurs the lines? Checking emails after work. Just say no!
3. Accept Slip-Ups.
No one is perfect. Instead of giving up all together when you find your thoughts centering on work past business hours, accept those thoughts and move on. An efficient way to do this? Simply jot down your ideas in a journal for tomorrow and let them go, and tell yourself you can revisit them during regular work hours. The benefits are two-fold — one, important thoughts won’t be forgotten, and two, you won’t feel guilty for not focusing on them as they come.
Want more info on how to increase productivity? We simply loved this article on Entrepreneur.com.