5 Steps to a Better Balance in your Work/Private Life

The bible says that we can't serve two masters at the same time and, isn't it funny how we are constantly trying and do that anyway? You know yourself how hard it is to balance a good, healthy work life and a satisfying personal life. Invariably, we pay attention to one and ignore the other. Equally bad is when we try to go full tilt in both aspect of our lives and the next thing we know, we're burned out.

A recent article in Forbes addressed just that issue and Forbes contributor, Rachel Ritlop, has suggested 5 ways we can achieve a musch better balance between our work and private lives. Many of the suggestions boil down to not blurring the line between your private life and your work life.

For example

1.  Take some time away from emails and your phone. I know we all feel we have to be hovering over our devices just in case something big happens. Put it on hold for a few minutes or an hour or so. If there are any problems in the meantime, you'll be better equipped to handle them after a short disconnect.

2. The rumor mill can kill your productivity. Every office has at least one gossip. Now, how often does gossip concern good news? Very rarely, as you know. First there's always the situation where the gossip can lower morale significantly. After all, isn't most gossip negative? Also, people who have reputations as gossips are not fully trusted. People who aren't trusted seldom move up.

3. Get Help! I used to be the world's worst about not asking for help. If you're not asking questions, chances are, you're not learning. We don't really learn from things we already know how to do. If you need help, ask for it. All good bosses will appreciate that you are taking your time to do the job right.

4.  Know what is expected of you. You can't really do your job if you don't know exactly what is expected of you. Just as you should feel free to ask for help, you should also feel free to nail down exactly what your job entails. Doing so will relieve your mind of wondering and you'll be much better prepared to focus on goals when you know what those goals are.

5.  Take care of your health. Taking care of your health just might be the most important tip on the list. If you are in poor health, you won't be able to concentrate on your job or focus on your goals. You don't have to become a body builder or a marathon runner, but keeping a healthy exercise and diet can give you the energy to do what is demanded of you.