When you spend so much of the week at work, it’s great when you have a job you enjoy doing. But not everyone has that luxury, and for many, balancing work with other responsibilities is anything but relaxing. It's easy to get caught up in the rat race and lose sight of why you are doing what you are doing. Luckily, there are a few ways you can create a balance and thrive in both work and life.
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Do Work You Love
If you enjoy your work, you can be more successful in life. Even if your job is not your dream job, you may still be able to look for things you enjoy in your work. Perhaps you enjoy your coworkers or find the creative side of your work fun. In some cases, you may find a career change is required to do something you love. Ask yourself what you would need to do to make this happen. Perhaps you would find it helpful to get some additional training. Maybe you can take a few online classes. Depending on the number of classes you need to take, you might end up getting an entire degree. Consider looking online for scholarships you can then put toward paying for your degree to help ease the financial burden.
Take Care of Yourself
Work is often stressful, and when you get so caught up in your responsibilities, it’s easy to ignore signs from your body. Prioritizing your physical health can make you feel better overall. The way you exercise, how you eat, and the amount of water you drink all play a big role in this. Even if these things seem simple, they are vital. Exercise is an important part of your lifestyle if you spend your days sitting at a desk
It's a good idea to move around as much as you can during your workday, whether it’s to ask a coworker a question, get some water, or talk on the phone. If you can, consider taking a walk when you are on your lunch break, even if it must be short. Implementing regular workouts into your routine can help you stay fit. Doing these workouts outdoors also gives you a chance to spend time in nature. Being in nature is even more important if you spend much of your day indoors.
Take Time to Have Fun
Don't let yourself get caught up in work and responsibilities all the time. Even if you consider yourself an introvert, you still need friendships with other people. When you are at work, you might be able to form connections with coworkers. Even a simple question about how their week is going can lead to a conversation that can make the workday better. There are many other ways of bonding with coworkers and other friends too. You could go out to dinner after work, take a walk at lunchtime, or join a local social group. These can help you get to know others better in a more relaxed setting.
Reward Yourself from Time to Time
You can’t thrive in life if you aren't taking time to enjoy yourself. Treating yourself can take many different forms, but the trick is to do something you find enjoyable. You might treat yourself to a nice dinner on Friday nights instead of eating leftovers yet again, or you might carve out a little time each evening to work on a project you are passionate about. Allow yourself to spend some of the money you have worked hard for on yourself. This will keep you motivated to keep at it, and it also gives you something you can look forward to down the road.
Don’t Forget Why You are Doing It
The most important thing that will help you thrive is to remember why you are doing everything you do. Perhaps you work 50-hour weeks so your kids can have a better life or so your spouse can stay home with your kids, or maybe you are juggling school and work so you can eventually work your dream job. No matter why you are doing it, it’s critical to know why so you don’t lose sight of that end goal and get caught up in the frustrations of the daily grind. If you are working hard for your family, keep a picture of them on your desk. When you have a bad day and a client is upset at you, you can look at that picture and remember everything is about your family, not that client.
