Last month, Sheryl Sandberg touched off a far-reaching discussion about work-life balance. The ambitious COO of Facebook appeared in a video and revealed that she typically leaves the office at 5:30p.m. so that she will be home by 6:00 to spend time with her family. Comments on this oddly newsworthy disclosure were all over the place and ranged from concern and disbelief to gratitude to scorn. However, for many it was a starred example of a successful executive finding the balance between devoting time to her family as well as a demanding job. So, says the conventional wisdom, maybe there’s hope for the rest of us.
Women and individuals with children are typically the ones who report not having enough time in the day.
And so many of us need it. According to Gallup, fully 28% of working U.S. adults report not having enough time to get done the things they need to do, which is higher than the 20% of non-working adults who say they’re short on time. This means between a quarter and a third of workers are falling behind in the struggle for balance between work and everything else. Women and individuals with children were most likely to be short on time.
So how can we start to think about restoring the balance with work and the other things that matter? For starters, we can take some comfort in knowing that avoiding the long hours and overtime may actually be good for productivity. To undiscerning managers and employees alike, time spent at a desk is a convenient, albeit poor, proxy for hard work and productivity. In a recent article, TIME magazine notes that decades-old research suggests top productivity is achieved by working 40 hours per week. And a Salon.com story goes into great detail about the work trends of the last 150 years and how employees working the standard 40 hours are not only happier and more productive, but also less prone to errors and accidents. Knowing when to say enough is enough may be the first line of defense in maintaining that all-important balance.
Beyond that, we know that no two employees are the same, so flexibility in work hours and location can also be a boon to balance. A 2010 report [pdf] from the Executive Office of the President Council of Economic Advisors states that flexible work arrangements should be a top priority for businesses, as this can help in “reducing absenteeism, lowering turnover, improving the health of workers, and increasing productivity.” Sandberg of Facebook acknowledges that she logs in from home after family time is over, proving that it’s often easy to work remotely and still get the job done. Focusing on the flexible conditions that are optimal for your particular life situation is worth considering for anyone fighting the balance battle.
There are so many other concerns for those of us struggling to maintain or even reclaim an acceptable work-life balance. To help address the ongoing issue, here are six ideas to help balance work and life a little better on a daily basis—
Why not try setting a deadline for when to start your 'me-time' for a change?
Set a deadline for “me-time” to begin. Work can be a hectic place for many of us, and more often than not, we simply need permission to take good care of ourselves! We put deadlines on so many things; for a change, why not put one on time for ourselves? Say to yourself, “I am going to be top priority today.” Even consider making a little reminder note and putting it in a place where you will see it throughout the workday.
Spend ten minutes today getting organized for tomorrow. Pick out the clothes. Make the lunches. Pack the briefcase. Whatever can be done ahead of time and will help get tomorrow started on the right foot. Getting organized the night before also means you’ll feel more calm and collected, which is a great way to start a busy day!
Delete one non-essential item from your to-do list. Select one thing on today’s list that isn’t crucial, and don’t do it! It could be a meeting that you can easily reschedule, a task you can delegate to a colleague, or a favor you can do some other time. Prioritizing is a major component of creating a healthy work-life balance, and sometimes that means cutting from the bottom of the list and eliminating those unimportant tasks.
Create a support network. It’s important to know when to reach out for help. So write down the names of three people who can support your efforts to balance your work and personal responsibilities. Choose anyone who has faced similar challenges or people you think of as good listeners. They’ll probably be able to understand your situation and suggest some helpful ideas to restore that all-important balance.
Share one way you’ve set healthy boundaries with work. Do you have a great way to keep your boss from texting you at night? How about an employee who doesn’t stop talking as you’re leaving to pick up your kids? Share one method for setting good work-life boundaries in your workplace. Keeping healthy boundaries allows you to nurture your personal relationships and goals and it can help you be a happier and more productive worker.
Delegate one task at work or home today. It can be a job you don’t feel you’re best suited to tackle, one that doesn’t fit into your schedule, or something you’d normally do strictly out of guilt. Whether it’s unloading the dishwasher or dealing with a difficult client, ask for the help confidently and be sure to say thanks, as well.
