Five ways to better your work-life balance

They will seem impossible to begin with but in time and with practice, these tips won't be hard to follow. Here's a simple guide to living a fuller life.

Five simple tips that can help you strike that seemingly impossible balance between your work and your life.

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Stop prioritising only work You can't always choose work over personal matters or vice versa. "You may need to complete a presentation before you take your wife out shopping on a given day. But there could also be a day when her shopping could be more important. You needn't stress about either the professional or the personal. Neither becomes less of a priority on a regular basis," says lifestyle consultant Abhinandan Sharma. Sharma learnt this the hard way when his wife threatened to file for a divorce for regular neglect!
Be flexible with ways to unwind Why wait for an entire week to chill with friends? Call them over on any given day. Perhaps on an easier day when you have left work early. Or just meet somewhere for a couple of happy hours. Chat, drink, de-stress. "You'll be in a much nicer space to get home and take on the next day's work. Also, meeting friends in the middle of the week, without any apparent planning, makes life seem rather simple and easy to deal with," suggests corporate lawyer Joebin Devassy.
Prioritise your needs In trying to be the supermen/superwomen the world expects us to be, we forget that we need to get a life. "It's okay if you want to get out and watch a film if you aren't doing much in office. You don't need to sit around just because your boss prefers to just see you around! Stop feeling guilty of wanting to do what you wish to because your boss, husband, wife, child or parents may feel odd. They'll respect you and your space more," says corporate life guru Sudhanshu Mehra. HT Column: Herbs to beat stress
Take out one hour every day This hour has to be just for yourself. Whether you want to spend it with yourself or someone else is your choice. Take a walk with your husband, wife, kid or partner, or just hit the gym alone, do yoga, read or enjoy whatever you wish to. "Get this hour once everyone is off to bed for the day or maybe early morning, but take it out nevertheless. It could turn out to be the most relaxing hour of the day. And perhaps the only hour where you could reach that semblance of balance," says entrepreneur Anuradha Verma.
Stop stressing about every 'crisis' Treat deadlines, homework and exams just the way they are. Regular. Many of us believe that a new crisis will hit us every day. "That is life, you see," says Sudhanshu Mehra. So don't stress about every problem. "It's all in the mindset," says journalist Vandana Mehra. "Being exceptionally organised may be desirable but not achievable! So stop trying so hard. Do what you can to the best of your ability. Stretch a little but don't always try to make a perfect statement," she says.

From HT Brunch, April 20
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