The year is almost over and this may slow down your productivity. We live in a fast-paced world where we tend to focus more on the year-end deadlines and have little time for ourselves. You don’t have to neglect any aspect of your life; just find a balance. Kenneth Matabane, a director at ICAS Southern Africa, shares some guidelines to put you in the right form of mind.
By: Keletso Modisakeng
1.What is a work-life balance to you?
The key to finding the right balance is in deciding what that means for you, and pursuing it. For some people, it means keeping up to date on what is happening in their children’s lives; for others it means having the energy to be fully present both at home and at work.
2. Draw the line between work and time off
Deciding when and how often to be available for work is a challenge faced by most professionals, and while emergencies do come up, try to keep your professional and personal time separate. Being with loved ones should be just that, and should not include working on your phone or checking emails while with them.
3. Plan ahead and prioritise
A great way to increase your free time is to ensure that you use your work time as effectively as possible. When you get to work, immediately write down your top tasks for the day and check off items as you complete them. Writing down a list of tasks according to priority will help you manage your time more effectively.
4. Leave work on time
A big challenge for professionals is simply leaving work on time at the end of the work day. There will be times when pressing matters arise that cannot wait until the next day. However, if working late is becoming a habit, there might be a problem. A helpful tip is to structure your tasks and meetings with the view of leaving at a certain time and committing to that.
5. Limit time-wasting activities
Part of the reason many people spend extra hours at work is because of time spent on activities such as chatting to colleagues or on social media. Every now and again, we all need some time out, just make sure that this is not taking up too much of your work time.
