My Method To Achieve A Healthy Work Life Balance

Achieving a healthy work life balance is the only way to stay consistent and reach your goals.

I learned the hard way the importance of work-life balance.

I’m an account manager and freelancer ( SEO consultant and blogger). Is not easy to manage all the work responsibilities and find time for myself and my family.

If you don’t want to get stressed out, you need to balance your life and what you have to do.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic solution, but I can help you to improve your work-life balance by sharing what worked for me.

If you’re tired of feeling stressed and overwhelmed, here’s what you need to do!

Key Takeaways

• Set clear goals and boundaries for work and personal time. This helps you focus on what’s important.
• Use tools like Sunsama to improve your work-life balance and help you manage stress. It prevents feeling overwhelmed and unmotivated.
• Take regular breaks and prioritize self-care to stay productive without burning out.
• Learn to delegate tasks and say “no” when needed. This keeps your workload manageable.
• Seek support from mentors, coworkers, or a support network. They can offer help and advice.

What is work-life balance?

Work-life balance is about finding a happy medium between your job and your personal life.

Finding the right balance between these two aspects has been crucial for my overall well-being, and you should never underestimate it.

It’s about being able to work hard without sacrificing the things that matter most to you, like spending time with family or friends, or doing the things you enjoy.

Everyone has different priorities, so what works for one person might not work for another.

As an account manager and freelancer, I’m juggling a lot. I know I have less free time than a typical 9-to-5 worker, but I need to find ways to reduce stress and get everything done.

It’s a challenge, but it’s possible with the right strategies.

Achieving work-life balance means feeling satisfied and fulfilled in both your career and your personal life.

What is the main objective of work-life balance?

The main goal of a healthier work-life balance is ensuring you have time for your job and personal life. I know that lots of motivators and influencers say that you need to always work, but that’s not true.

I tried doing that for months, but I felt overwhelmed, and I reached a burnout. 

Too much work and your life gets bitter. But when you have a good balance, you’re less stressed, more productive, and happier overall.

You can be a high achiever without spending an insane amount of time at work.

I messed up big time a year ago by working late every night. It hit me hard – I was tired all the time and missed out on fun with friends and family. That wake-up call made me see how important it is to find that sweet spot where everything blends right.

Improve work-life balance helps you stay productive without feeling overwhelmed.

It also means taking care of yourself and focusing on your personal growth and personal development.

Trust me, finding a healthy balance makes everything better—from your mental health to staying longer at a job you love.

How to improve your work-life balance

If you’re struggling to achieve a healthy work-life balance, I know how you’re feeling.

You can’t find a balance between work and personal life, like the time for your family or your hobbies. And this situation sucks.

But even if you have a super busy schedule like me, you can still develop a healthy work-life balance that works and makes you feel satisfied.

Here’s how you can improve your work-life balance.

Analyze your current situation

First of all, you need to take a good look at your current situation. It’s like conducting a life audit and see what’s working and what is not.

It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind and not even notice how off balance things have become. So, here’s my go-to list for getting a clear picture:

Work-Related Questions:

• How many hours do I typically work each week?
• Do I often work overtime or on weekends?
• How do I feel about my workload? Is it manageable or overwhelming?
• Do I have clear boundaries between work and personal time?
• How often do I check work emails or messages outside of work hours?

Personal Life Questions:

• How much time do I spend with family and friends?
• Do I have time for hobbies or personal interests?
• How do I feel about my overall well-being (physical, mental, emotional)?
• Are there specific personal commitments or responsibilities that are causing stress?
• How do I prioritize my time between work and personal life?

Stress and Burnout Questions:

• Do I feel overwhelmed, stressed, or exhausted?
• How often do I experience physical symptoms of stress (e.g., headaches, fatigue)?
• Do I have difficulty sleeping or concentrating?
• Have I noticed changes in my mood or behavior?
• How do I cope with stress and burnout?

These questions are powerful because they cover different aspects of your life. Your physical and mental health are extremly important, so make sure your personal life doesn’t get neglected.

Define your goals and develop a plan

Once you know where you stand, it’s time to figure out what you want to change.

Goal setting has been crucial for my success, so if you don’t have clear and achievable goals, that’s a problem.

But what goals should you set? It depends on your needs and your objectives, but here some examples:

• Aim to work fewer hours and minimize overtime. This is great to reduce the risk of feeling overwhelmed.
• Identify tasks that can be delegated to others to reduce your workload. If you’re a manager like me, delegating is essential.
• Focus on the most important tasks and avoid getting sidetracked by less urgent ones.
• Minimize checking emails or taking work calls after hours.
• Work out at least 2 times per week for 1 hour
• Make time for quality interactions with family and friends.

Once you’ve defined your goals, it’s time to create an action plan. A goal without a plan is useless.

Suggested Reading: How to set goals and crush them

Set clear boundaries

If you want to maintain a healthy work-life balance, you need to set clear boundaries. Especially if you work from home, they can be a game changer.

Without those lines drawn, my work just spilled into my personal time like nobody’s business. It was nuts! I used to check emails while at dinner or type away on some project late into the night.

You can guess the results. My girlfriend was angry at me all the time and all this workload affected my mental and physical health.

Let’s make an example of my boundaries for remote work as an SEO consultant:

The main problem: Finding it difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance due to the flexibility of my job

Solution:

• Determine priorities: I set my most important priorities where I want to focus on
• I created a daily work schedule with breaks and set specific hours for work.
• I also created a specific area in my  home for work. This is my personal ” work environment”.
• I informed clients about their availability and set expectations for response times. That’s why I live in Europe, and most of my clients are in the US.
• I used focus apps to avoid distractions and be as concentrated as possible while working.

Improve your focus and time management

If you want to manage stress and reduce your work hours, you need to improve your time management.

I realized that we usually have enough time to do everything, but we don’t know how to manage it properly.

Work-life balance apps can help you do it. 

For example, my favorite one is Sunsama, a tool that helps me focus on the most important tasks and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Now, I can finally understand how I allocate my time, and this gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

Focus is also crucial for the quality of your work, and tools like time boxing or time blocking features help you improve it.

Sunsama offers you a free 14-day trial, so why don’t test it?

Eliminate distractions while you’re working

We live in an era of a low attention span.

Phone distractions, notifications, colleagues interrupting while you are concentrating, noise inside and outside your office. How can you stay focused with all this?

You need to reduce these time wasters to increase your productivity.

We discussed drawing boundaries between work and professional life, but you must also set them for yourself.

For instance, I usaully leave my phone in another room while working. Or, if you need it, make sure to use some app blockers to not getting distracted all the time.

Another great option I implemented is using specific time management techniques, like the Pomodoro technique. Essentially, you work in focused 25-minute intervals followed by short breaks.

You can see an example in this image below:

Take regular breaks

Breaks are a great way to reduce your stress and avoid spending too much time in front of your PC.

I know it sounds crazy, but I often forget to take breaks, especially when I’m hyper-focused. Breaks can help you regenerate and find harmony, so make sure to dedicate time in your schedule to them.

You can take a walk, do some stretching, or drink a coffee; the important thing is to switch off your brain for a few minutes and rest.

A substantial 86% of employees report that taking regular breaks enhances their productivity.

Prioritize self-care

Self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential. It’s like taking care of your car; if you neglect it, it won’t run smoothly. So, make time for yourself.

Do things that make you happy, whether it’s taking a walk, reading a book, or spending time with loved ones.

Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup, so take care of yourself first.

If you want to achieve more results in your life, make sure to focus on personal growth activities, like training your body and your mind, reading, learn new skills and get out of your comfort zone.

Make sure to find time for these activities. They’ve been essential for my 

Learn to delegate and say ” no”

I have a lot of responsibilities at work, but after years, I learned two essential skills: saying no and delegating.

I used to think doing everything myself was the way to go. Big mistake! My work-life balance was out of whack, and stress levels? Through the roof.

Learning to delegate tasks wasn’t easy at first. You have to trust your team and let go a little. But this will encourage your team to take accountability for their actions and become more efficient.

And saying “no”? It’s even tougher at the start. But here’s the deal – not every request needs a “yes.” Early on, I felt guilty turning down tasks or opportunities. I thought it might make me seem lazy or uninterested.

The truth hit hard, though: people take advantage of your availability, so you need to set boundaries. This happens both inside and outside of the office.

I started small, handing off minor tasks and gradually moving up to bigger ones as my confidence grew in my team’s capabilities. And when asked to take on more than I could handle? A polite “I’m sorry, but my plate is full” became my mantra.

Seek support

There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Everyone has limitations. It’s okay to admit yours.

Work-life balance is important for your personal and professional goals; if you struggle to achieve it, consider finding a mentor or a coach.

For example, you could find an accountability partner to monitor your progress and stay on track. 

You can also find an accountability coach, who’s similar to an accountability partner but with professional skills.

About a year ago, I decided to get a coach and found Goalswon, which is a really good app for staying accountable.

If you’re in the same boat, I highly recommend giving it a try. It’ll help you balance your work and personal life with some great tips and strategies!

Review your goals and progress

Your goals may change over time, and that’s fine ( this is why I usually set quarterly goals).

Make sure to review your initial goals and assess if they still align with your current priorities. If necessary, modify your goals to reflect changes in your life or circumstances.

If you’re using work-life balance apps, You’ll be able to see how you’re doing, understand the numbers, and know what’s going on. This is the only way to succeed and create a positive work environment.

What is an example of a good work-life balance?

It’s time to make a real-life example of good work-life balance.

Here we go:

• Career: Sarah works as a project manager at a tech company. She typically works from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday to Friday. She used to work until late, but she set clear boundaries and doesn’t do it anymore.
  
• Personal Life: Sarah is married with two young children. She enjoys spending quality time with her family, cooking, and practicing yoga.
  
• Balance: Sarah has a clear work-life balance strategy. She:
  • Sets specific work hours: She avoids working late or on weekends unless absolutely necessary.
  • Delegates tasks: Sarah effectively delegates tasks to her team members to reduce her workload.
  • Schedules personal time: She blocks out time on her calendar for personal activities, such as family time, hobbies, and self-care.
  • Limits work-related activities outside of work hours: She avoids checking work emails or taking work calls after 7 PM.
    
• Self-Care: Sarah exercises for at least 30 minutes most days, practices yoga for 20 minutes daily, and ensures she gets enough sleep.

This is a grea example of flexibile work-life balance that allows Sarah to disconnect from work at an acceptable time and dedicated time for family.

What’s my ideal work-life balance?

As you probably imagine, there’s no definitive answer. It can vary from person to person, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

The key is to follow the previous steps I explained before and be consistent.

Those tips for achieving work-life balance have been a lifesaver for me, and if you feel like you’re always stressed and tired, it’s time to change your routine.

What is the most common cause of poor work-life balance?

According to work-life balance statistics, the most common cause of poor work-life balance is long working hours.

I used to work for long hours, 7 days a week, and it was crazy. I mean, it’s ok if you’re working on a particular project on your side hustle, but you need to find a balance between professional and personal life.

Both your body and your mind need breaks, and you need to find a deal.

Work-life balance tools will help you accomplish this goal and find what works for you.

Conclusion

Achieving a healthy work life balance is essential for long-term success and well-being. 

Remember, finding the right balance is a personal journey, and what works for one person may not work for another.

But the strategy is the same: identify your goals and priorities, develop a plan, and start prioritizing yourself, not what others want.

Work-life balance is beneficial not just for you but also for your friends and family.

 It’s not about being perfect; it’s about finding what works best for you and making conscious choices to prioritize both your career and personal life.