How To Balance Productivity And Rest: 5 Tips To Help You Improve Your Routine
Prices seem to be going up on every item on a daily basis, while wages aren’t matching that same type of growth. Because of this, more people are being forced to work longer hours just to make ends meet, and it’s taking up much of our free time. For people that work in the office, there could be a couple of hours required just to prepare for work, and with commute times, there aren’t many hours in the day to simply relax.
This can end up being overwhelming, and people who work from home can even feel the crunch where there’s no work-life balance. If you feel like you can’t find a good balance between productivity and rest, here are five tips to follow that will improve your life.
Set a Schedule
If you’re looking to better balance your work life and home life, creating a set schedule will surely help. Set aside time to specifically focus on work. It can be a large block of time with breaks in between, or smaller and more frequent blocks of time to break up the monotony. When it’s time to rest, do your best to take yourself out of the work mindset and purely focus on rest and relaxation.
Indulge in Self-Care
Speaking of rest and relaxation, when it’s time to unwind after a long day of productivity, it helps to treat yourself to some healthy self-care. Self-care can be anything that makes you feel truly relaxed, fulfilled, and happy. It’s whatever is good for your mind, body, and soul. It can range from going out for a night on the town, booking a spa day, going out shopping, spending time indulging in your favorite hobbies, or simply staying in and watching your favorite shows and movies in the comfiest pajamas. Whatever makes you happy and comforts you is sure to relax your body and mind before you return to the grind.
Stay Present
The most challenging task when it comes to balancing work and play is oftentimes knowing how to separate one from the other. When you’re trying to unwind, maybe your mind is wandering and focused too much on work. When you’re stuck in a rut during work, maybe you’re focused on being home and relaxing. If you can master the art of living in the present, you’ll have a much easier time keeping your mind from wandering. Practice being mindful and focusing on the task at hand. You’ll find yourself being more productive at work and able to fully relax during your downtime.
Break it Up
Balancing productivity and rest can be made simple by breaking up work and play into shorter, more frequent bursts. Designating smaller blocks of time to be productive and taking plenty of time for breaks in between can help break up the monotony, make you feel rejuvenated and refreshed, and therefore increase your productivity throughout the day. It really can be as simple as that.
Keep the Work Area Separate
If you’re working from home, this is the tip for you. Balancing your work life and home life is challenging to do. It’s even more difficult when you work from home. Creating a disconnect from work when you’re home and vice versa isn’t exactly easy to do when your place of comfort becomes your office. There are some things you can do to help create that mental disconnect. Make sure you keep your work area separate from the rest of your home. Designate a spot where you’ll be able to focus, be free of most distractions, and that is out of the way of your normal activities. During your downtime, be sure to keep away from your workspace and create a comfortable oasis within your home to retreat to.