Juggling your social life, home life and your work life can be challenging when you’re an established entrepreneur – whatever the nature of your business. Have you ever found yourself sacrificing quality time with your friends and family to meet work commitments? You’re certainly not alone.
A perfect work-life integration is different for everyone, so it’s best to find what works for you and stick to it. With this in mind, here are some of our top tips to help you manage it better.
Switch off at home
It might be easier said than done, but there are a few steps you can follow to help you distance yourself when spending time at home with your family.
Put your phone or computer aside for a few hours
If you’re settling down in the evening, or spending some quality family time, it can be tempting to check your emails or browse through work-related social media. To resist temptation, simply put your phone and laptop out of arm’s reach.
Manage your stress with meditation or exercise
If you’re bringing the stress of work home with you, this can have a negative impact on your personal life. Meditation or regular exercise can significantly reduce any work-related stress you might have and is also effective for increasing productivity!
Take up a new hobby
This might sound counterproductive (after all, why would you have time for new hobbies if you’re strolling with a work-life balance?) but taking on some new hobbies is a great way to distract you from out-of-hours work that can be completed the next day. You could try taking up running, painting or even try your hand at baking.
Take additional steps at work
Believe it or not, the key to a successful work-life balance actually begins at work.
Don’t be afraid to delegate
Delegating is something every entrepreneur who employs other people has battled with. Whether you’re confident you can do the job better or you’re nervous about letting go, you’ll need to learn how to effectively delegate to achieve your desired work-life balance.
- Always choose the right person for the job and not the person who has some time available.
- Let them know why you’re delegating. For example, you might explain how you’re hoping to see them grow as a result of taking on new tasks.
- Ensure they have all the resources to allow them to complete the job properly. Bear in mind that you might need to provide training before delegating.
- Always check over the work and let them know you appreciate it. When they know how appreciative you are, they’ll have no problem completing other tasks further down the line.
Hire external experts
If you’re more of a solopreneur than an entrepreneur, you can still delegate with the help of external experts. Why not outsource your bookkeeping or tax returns to an expert accountant for entrepreneurs – like Alexander & Co? Or hire a personal assistant to help you keep track of your agenda and meetings?
Hiring external experts is not for everyone, but it can often take a huge weight off your shoulders – allowing you to focus more on what matters most.
Do you think you’ve maintained a successful work-life balance? Let us know how in the comments below!