Five tips to help you find work-life balance
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Running a small business takes up a lot of your time. In fact, studies suggest that 40 % of small business owners spend more than 50 hours a week on their business. In contrast, only 6 % of employees spend that much of their time at work. As a small business owner, all the time you spend at work means you spend less time relaxing at home with your family and participating in the daily activities of family life. So it’s critical that you find a balance that allows you to give enough attention to your business without taking away from your essential rest time.
Working more does not necessarily mean accomplishing more. In fact, the opposite would be more accurate. Sharing your time more equally between work and home can result in productivity gains. Here are five tips to help you find a work-life balance that works for you.
1-Familiarize yourself with your biological clock
Are you more efficient in the morning or are you more of a night owl? For example, if you’re a morning person, consider starting work early to answer emails from the night before or to prepare your next marketing campaign. This will allow you to get home in time to prepare dinner with your family. Plan to do the most stressful work at the times when you are most effective. This increased efficiency will allow you to complete your tasks more quickly. And when planning your schedule, remember to make time for your family life.
Gradually delegating responsibilities to key employees is simply good business practice and can help you improve your work-life balance.
2-Set priorities
Take a good look at your schedule. Then take an honest and frank look at everything you have to do and determine what needs to be done first and what can wait. Make rest time one of your priorities. In a way, it allows you to recharge your batteries. You will return to work with a rested mind and renewed energy!
3-Set boundaries
If you run your own business, you may already be doing what you love. The temptation to work non-stop can be very strong, especially if you believe that the success of your business depends on you. Once you have prioritized your schedule, encourage others to do the same. You will need to be flexible, but you can set boundaries for your customers, employees and suppliers. Don’t get into the habit of being available all the time to everyone who works with you. Focus on other aspects of your life and remember that most work-related problems can wait.
4-Disconnect
Technology allows us to work from anywhere at any time, but it can also be a problem. Just look at the growing number of companies that ask their employees to stay disconnected from work while on vacation. The biggest threat to work-life balance is not giving your full attention to anything. So take full advantage of the beach, the ski slopes, your family dinner or your child’s soccer game. You can check your phone or tablet from time to time if you don’t want to lose track. But don’t feel like you have to check your devices constantly. You can also ask your employees or important contacts to call you if there is an urgent situation that you need to address immediately.
5-Delegate
Most entrepreneurs know that they can manage their business better than anyone else. Delegate tasks whenever possible, whether at work or at home. Gradually delegating responsibilities to key employees is a good business practice and can help improve your work-life balance. You need someone to know what to do during those inevitable times when you are truly unreachable. If you don’t have employees, consider outsourcing certain tasks like bookkeeping, or using software like FreshBooks that will help you manage these tasks more efficiently. At home, save time by hiring someone to do odd jobs or housework, or by using grocery delivery and meal planning services.
Maintaining a balance between work and personal life doesn’t have to be difficult. By adopting a few new habits, you can manage your time better, be more productive and relax.
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