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Reclaim Your Work-Life Balance! Ways to Find More Balance as an Executive

You have a grueling work schedule, making it hard to reach the work-life balance you want. To a certain extent, you’ve come to accept this tradeoff. It’s part of the lifestyle of becoming a busy executive. Still, there are ways to find more balance even as you drive your career forward.

Devoting significant time to work is part of what makes you a successful business leader. After all, you need to keep up with the competition. One study estimated that executives work nearly 10 hours a day during the week, with another nearly 8 hours over the weekend.

This can have serious implications. Another data set showed that more than three-quarters of U.S. professionals (77%) have experienced burnout. Run yourself too hard and it could ultimately backfire.

That’s why work-life balance is so important. It lets you recoup and recharge, ultimately making you more effective in your job. At the same time, you build stronger relationships with friends and family — ultimately leading to a more rewarding existence.

Ready to reclaim your work-life balance? Here are some steps you can take to find the right equilibrium:

Channeling a Better Work-Life Balance for Yourself

Define the Right Balance for You

The right work-life balance means different things to different people. For some, it involves working as little as possible and concentrating on family, friends, and hobbies. For others, it means organizing a life that leaves the maximum time available for career pursuits.

Likely, you fall somewhere in the middle. But whatever the case, consider your personal ideal. From there, you’ll have a much better insight on how to find that balance.

Remember the ideal work-life balance represents a moving target. What makes sense for this point in your life might alter as conditions change. Regularly evaluate the interaction of your home and office existence to see if tweaks are necessary.

Set Boundaries

Remote work and flexible schedules have, in theory, made work-life balance easier to achieve. However, these trends have also muddied the separation between home and the office. Part of your job is reestablishing these barriers.

Make it clear what times are designated for the various parts of your life. When you’re set to concentrate on work, give it your full attention. But, when it’s time for family and friends (or just for yourself), shut off your professional side and stay focused on the personal.

Combine Priorities

Not every event requires a separation. There are some spaces where blending is possible. After all, you’re used to multitasking, right? Well, you can use that skill to maximize your work-life balance as well.

Try to get double duty out of some of your spare time. Host parties that include business associates. Dinners, golf outings, and even vacations can have a professional component as well as a personal one. Just know when this kind of mixture enhances your balance and when it continues to put things out of whack.

Think Long Term

A good work-life balance should be something you can maintain over the long term. More than that, an ideal equilibrium fosters sustainable productivity. Pouring too much effort into work can lead to burnout. A healthy home life can protect you from that outcome.

At the same time, a thriving career gives you the resources you need to pursue your personal endeavors. By keeping this frame in mind, it gets easier to envision the value of a good work-life balance.

Delegate as Much as Possible

Trust the people around you. As an executive, part of your job is getting the most out of your team. This has the added benefit of taking some of the burden off your shoulders. By turning over certain tasks to your team, you open the door for a healthier work-life balance.

Delegation gets easier when you find the right organizational fit for you. A top recruiter, like Elby Professional Services, can pair you with a high-value company, granting you a reliable, winning team that will unlock your highest potential.

Looking to Further Achieve Success for Yourself and Your Organization?

Contact Elby Professional Services today to learn more.

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