Important Things First!
The situation is familiar: you know what you should be doing, but you are so tired you end up doing nothing. Or your task list overwhelms you and you waste time focusing on something completely irrelevant.
The first question you may have to ask yourself is what should I be doing? What is truly important right now? Once you start to think about it, obviously, not everything can be a top priority. Some tasks should be done immediately, not because they are urgent, but simply to get them out of the way and some tasks can be combined to save time. It seems counterproductive, but sometimes stopping your work to take some time out is the exact thing you need to get yourself back on track. Consider the following tips:
Power Nap
A ten to twenty minute nap is enough to freshen you up and get you ready to face the rest of your day. If it is at all in your power to do so, make your nap a priority—any work that follows will be done with more clarity and drive.
Good Weather
Enjoying an afternoon out with family and friends or even taking a walk in the sun on your lunch break is an excellent way to get movement, socialize, and get some balance back into your life.
The Two Minute Rule
GTD (Getting Things Done) guru David Allen has a great rule to combat small tasks piling up. Ask yourself: can the task be completed in two minutes or less? If the answer is yes do it right away and keep those micro-tasks from overwhelming you later.
They Say Don’t Multitask, but…
A headset for your phone works wonders here—the next time you’re ironing, pruning your garden, washing dishes, or doing any number of household tasks that don’t require too much concentration, use that time and your headset to call a friend or family member and reconnect.
At work, a boss will always tell you what you need to be doing next. At home (or if you are your own boss) it can be difficult to stay on top of tasks, so if you’re feeling a little in over your head, take a moment to identify what is most important, what can be done quickly and gotten out of the way and remember that sometimes, it makes perfect sense for your Life Balance to make resting or socializing a priority.
About experience5
experience5 is a consultancy for customer and employee experience as well as value‐based leadership. The firm operates in North America and EMEA. experience5 also operates mybalance.net, an online tool for Life Balance assessment and improvement. Bringing over two decades of leadership experience to experience5, founder and CEO Stefan Osthaus is also a sought‐after keynote speaker and the author of The End of Work-Life Balance.