Tips on How to Take a Break from Work in a Technological Era
In this day and age, it is complicated to maintain a balance between work and day-to-day life. With smartphones and computers accessible at every corner, it can be difficult to step away from these devices. There could be an important message or an unfinished project tempting you to go ahead and pick these things up after work hours, but when does the work day truly end? Can you maintain a balance between work and home life? It can be difficult, but it can be managed with some self-control. All you need to do is step away and fill your time with activities that will rest and prepare yourself for the next day.
Get Out of the House or Office
Whether you work from home or out of the office, you need to step away from that space to get out of the work mindset. If time and situation permits, step out of that environment for a while and mix it up! Go to a coffee shop, go see a movie, or eat out at your favorite restaurant. All of these places are good escapes from working at your desk.
Put the Phone Away
When the work is done and you finally arrive home at the end of the day, it is time to unwind. Take your shoes off, put your feet up, and mute your phone for a while. You deserve it. Do not tempt yourself by mindlessly going through apps or web browsing. This is your time to escape from your accessible devices.
With smartphones constantly at hand, it is more than likely you have your work email setup on your device. This leaves you with a 24/7, personal access line that can be difficult to get away from unless you can silence these notifications or better yet, step away entirely. Otherwise you will find yourself being a prisoner to your mechanisms. This could be a huge downfall for balancing your home life and your work life.
Exercise
It is hard to answer emails and text messages when you are lifting weights or going for a long run. Not to mention exercise is a great stress reliever as well. This is an excellent way to take care of yourself physically as well as increasing your endurance for work hours. You’ll find yourself with plenty of energy throughout the work day helping you be more productive.
It’s not always easy to get started with an exercise program, but any little bit helps. Start with a walk and gradually work your way up to a jog, or find activities with your spouse or friends. You’ll notice the benefits immediately.
Spend Time with Friends and Family
A fantastic and rewarding way to promote balance between work and life outside of the office is to spend time with your friends and family. Not only does this get you away from your devices, but it gets your friends and family away from the work mindset as well. Everyone wins! Enjoy each other’s company for the evening or the weekend and relax! Tomorrow is another day to really focus at the office.
Conclusion
Maintaining a work and life balance can be a difficult task in this era of technology, but it can be maintained through self-control. Whether it is stepping away from your smartphone or stepping outside of the office or workspace to do something else, you can get away from the constant messages that keep you from taking care of yourself. Afterall, it is you and your health that keep you coming to the office 5 times a week. Without your mental and physical health, it can hurt effective time in the office. Take care of yourself outside of the office so you can strive while you are in the office!