Written by: Danijella Dragas, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The pursuit of a healthy work and life balance seem to be a daunting goal for many people all over the world.
Focus on your strengths and outsource menial tasks; enjoy the time saved, and the stress relief will outweigh any associated costs.
Prioritize your time
You may have a to-do list with 20 tasks; prioritizing will clear your mind: categorize them into four sections.
Urgent and Important
Important but not Urgent
Urgent but not Important
Neither Urgent nor Important
Know your self
Are you a morning person? Or a Night Owl?
Assign your toughest tasks during your optimum time of day that you are most alert.
Recent studies report an ongoing struggle of heavy workloads, managing relationships and family responsibilities and the ability for personal time to pursue outside interests has left more than one in four people “super stressed.” These results are alarming and a wake-up call!
The rush of modern-day life to “get it all done” at the office and at home is overwhelming. It seems easy to forget that we can spike our stress levels with a direct correlation to our productivity plummeting. Stress is a great zapper of concentration, makes us irritable or depressed and a direct harm to our personal and professional relationships.
Over time, stress also weakens our immune system and makes us susceptible to further illness, time off work and the inability to live a full and happy life.
The blueprint to implement and recapture our balance might be as simple as setting out a routine, easy to follow and sustain.
At work
Set manageable goals each day.
Being able to meet priorities helps us feel a sense of accomplishment and control. The latest research shows that the more control we have over our work, the less stressed we get. It is critical to set realistic guidelines at work, have a manageable workload and realistic deadlines. Make a “to-do” list, and take care of important tasks first, and eliminate all non-essential ones. Asking for assistance when necessary.
Be efficient with your time at work.
When we procrastinate, the task often grows in our minds until it seems insurmountable. The solution when facing a big project at work or home is to start diving into smaller tasks, this provides a more relaxed mind set and not be overwhelmed when facing a large “mountain to climb.” Complete the first task knowing you are one step closer to completing your goal. Give yourself a small reward upon completion of each step, this could be a five-minute coffee break, or even a short walk around the block.
When feeling overwhelmed by a routine task that seems unnecessary, speak to your superior to see if the task can be moved to another staff member. The less time spent doing busy work or procrastinating, the more time you can spend productively or with friends and family.
Flexibility.
Flex time and telecommuting are quickly becoming the norm with modern technology allowing the business world to be conducted at anytime and anywhere. A healthy work life balance is even harder to establish, both physically and emotionally, with a home office being quite common. Many companies now draft a work/life policy hour allowing working from home a few days a week. The research shows that employees with flexible schedules are more productive and loyal to their employers.
Take Five.
Taking a break at work is acceptable, it is even encouraged by many companies. It seems that Google and many tech companies set the precedence. Ping pong anyone? Small breaks at work during any project will lead to a clearer head and improved ability to deal with stress. This leads to making better decisions so you can jump back into the workspace fully refreshed.
Tune in.
Listen to your favorite music at work to foster concentration, reduce stress and anxiety, stimulate creativity. Meditative music playing in the background while reading detailed documents and data has shown to slow down the heart and focus the mind. Studies dating back over 30 years have showed the benefits of music in everyday life, including blood pressure lowering and increase in oxygen to the brain. Wearing headphones at work while pumping up the music often leads to greater productivity.
Communicate efficiently.
Be honest with colleagues or your superiors when you feel you are in a situation where you need help. The likelihood is that you are not alone and by speaking up it might trigger a new way to tackle a project or a team effort. Suggest practical alternatives that may benefit your career and set yourself up as a solution provider or a potential leader. Looking at a situation from someone else’s viewpoint can also reduce your stress. In a tense situation, either rethink your strategy or stand your ground, calmly and rationally. Retreat before you lose control, allow time for all involved to cool off if things start to get out of hand.
Giving yourself a break.
In a (supposed) perfect world of social media, do not forget that no one’s perfect! Allow yourself to be human and be comfortable recognizing you are doing the best to your abilities.
Workspace that works for you.
Long hours are normally required when working for yourself; unfortunately, that limits your free time. Invest in comfortable office equipment to support you overall health. This may include an ergonomic keyboard, comfortable chair, a standing desk option or a support island that you can set up your laptop may be excellent options to keep your body functioning in a healthy manner.
Get out and mingle.
Working for yourself may be lonely. You might want to schedule some phone calls or coffee time with like-minded business owners to discuss ideas and offer each other support.
Invest in a business coach.
The second set of eyeballs on your business would benefit you to see how to get rid of bad habits and implement good ones sooner.
At home
Unplug.
The same technology that makes it so easy for workers to do their jobs on flex time can also burn you out if we use them 24/7. Make yourself available – especially if you have earned the rights to flex hours. We all need our personal time to shut down the phone and laptop.
Divide and conquer.
If you have a housemate, make sure responsibilities at home are evenly distributed and clearly outlined, you’ll avoid confusion and problems later.
Commitment do not over commit.
Over stacking the calendar can leave you stressed by feeling overwhelmed. If you’re overscheduled with activities, learn to say “no.”Shed the superman/superwoman urge to be included.
Assign some personal time.
Personal situations arise, it can be tempting to bury yourself in your work. You must schedule “me time” or you will go bonkers. Spend time exercising alone and with friends. Go hit some tennis balls, take a walk, hit the gym… just get some fresh air and you will feel better almost immediately. Taking personal time will allow you to go back to business with a refreshed mind and healthier body.
Finances: make time for them.
Working for an employer or yourself, it's important to feel confident about your finances. To do this, you need to get some accounting software in place or a simple spread sheet to keep the day-to-day expenses and income in order. A cluttered mind is an unhealthy mind.
Exercise a must-do, not a should-do.
Easy to cancel the gym, the evening run, or the yoga class because a client wants something done immediately. Instead, ensure your exercise time is given as much priority as your clients and making money. A healthy body means a fresh mind, which will function at top speed and complete tasks in less time.
Make the holiday.
Book those breaks away at least every quarter. Even a long weekend off is better than nothing. Advise your clients that you will be away in advance, thus leaving you free and clear to be present and enjoy the moment without the stress.
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Danijella Dragas, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Born and raised in Oxford, England. She earned a BS in Economics/International Trade and Banking from the prestigious University of London. Miss. Dragas was employed by Bear Stearns Investment Banking firm for over 18 years. She worked in their offices of London, San Paulo, Beijing, New York and Irvine. Her specialty was asset management, capital markets/investment banking. During her final four years at Bear Stearns, Miss. Dragas was one of the original team members that introduced Bear Stearns mortgages to the banking industry in the residential wholesale market. She has continued her career in the residential, commercial lending for 36 years. Her focus has been on construction finance, asset repositioning, fintech and the blockchain market. In addition, numerous prestigious commercial projects on an international level. Miss. Dragas has also worked on multi-sector business finance, corporate sponsorships, hospitality, clean energy, trade programs and pre IPO. Her primary concentration of late has been on fintech, technology start ups, sports arenas and sports franchise business plans, commercial lending; focusing on construction and working with numerous boards and CEO in an advisory capacity. She is extremely competent in international banking, structured finance and corporate strategy, strategic partnerships. Miss Dragas enjoys biking, tennis, horse-riding, skiing, self-development and golf in her spare time. An avid sports spectator and athlete she is Managing Director of Global Soccer Pro the United States division of Global Football Pro United Kingdom and USA Founding Board Member, Executive Steering Committee for Football For PEACE. Additionally, her philanthropic endeavors in the cure and treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and Football for Peace keep her very active in the global community.
