Striking a work-life balance to improve productivity at work and mindfulness at home

“Being an immigrant in a new country is not easy and we always think that we must work more than anyone else to deserve to be there. And we end up forgetting that we are humans, and we have limits.” These are the words of an immigrant who moved back to her origin country of Brazil after having lived in Canada for 10 years.  

You probably can relate to this, regardless of whether you are an immigrant or not. Personally, this is a constant struggle for me. The pressures of performing at a job amidst the competing priorities of having a present and fulfilling personal life often seem to take their toll. Most of the time, it ends up feeling like one of those situations where you cannot have it all.  

However, there are lived experiences and research showing that if we dedicate time to understanding our limits as humans and pursue only what is sustainable, we can be successful in our careers while leaving room to explore our humanness in other spheres outside that of work. 

Below are some tips I have found useful in the quest for balance: 

• Set boundaries, for yourself and your employer   Being able to have a clear demarcation between work time and family time is essential, particularly in the case of those working from home, since the hours can easily blend into each other. When you get done with your workday, go on a walk or go grocery shopping or do any separate non-work-related activity in order to mark a mental shift from work duties.  
  

Additionally, limit checking work emails and answering work-related calls during this time. If an employer attempts to contact you, practice saying no, especially if the ask is not urgent. Such a clear boundary will reduce spillage of work into personal time, and vice versa. 

• Invest in a support system  This involves surrounding yourself with people going through similar challenges as you, who you can talk to or relate with. This is important as it helps to both unload feelings of isolation and loneliness which can worsen the balance and distribute some tasks you’d have to do alone amongst your community to make it all more manageable. For example, those with dependents could make the strategic decisions to live close to other similar structured families so they have access to group daycares for little children or different parents taking turns to drive the children to and from school if the children are of school-going ages.   
  

• Research the jobs and companies you apply to for helpful benefits and perks  If you have the option, filter for companies that offer benefits like remote work, telecommuting, day care, pet care, therapy and so on. Without the additional stress of commuting or figuring out close and convenient mental health care, it will be much easier to be productive at work and have enough time to spend with your friends and loved ones at the end of the workday. 

• Invest in self care   The old adage ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ rings true even in adult life. Finding ways to decompress and relax boosts productivity in your job by preventing you from overworking yourself and eventually burning out. Self-care activities can include engaging in hobbies, exercising, practicing healthy eating habits, getting enough sleep, taking breaks from social media and hanging out with friends and family. While it is not easy to do them all at once, practicing one at a time in a gradual and incremental fashion will go a long way in ensuring you build sustainable routines that keep you healthy mentally and physically. 
  

The Canadian Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) emphasizes a need to strategize how to achieve a work-life balance. The tips above can help with that, and the main takeaway is that once we are aware of the difficulty of trying to balance work and life, we become better equipped to manage the stress that comes from it.  

Remember that you are not a machine; you are human, and you have limits. So try to not bite off more than you can chew. In case you do, be kind to yourself and allow yourself the grace to learn from it and readjust.