When you’re running a small business, it’s all too easy for work to take over all your life. After all, you care about your business and you want it to succeed. But it’s vital to make time in your life for non-work experiences, including relaxing and spending time with people you care about.
Of course, the right work-life balance is different for each person, but here are some tips that will help you to stop devoting too much time to work, and ensure that your personal life remains healthy and strong.
Multitasking is a tempting myth, but it’s just that: a myth. Doing more than one thing at a time doesn’t really save you time; you end up doing a not-very-good job at both tasks, and then you have to go back and fix things later.
Instead, concentrate on the task in front of you, and then move on to the next one on your priority list. This includes your private time as well as work time; don’t try to answer work calls when you’re having lunch with your girlfriend, for example. You’ll just annoy both your girlfriend, and your email contact.
In a similar way, it’s important not to let your work life leak into your private life. Today we all have smartphones and we can all be available 24/7 — but being available is a choice. Set yourself work hours, and then choose to not be available outside of those hours.
Don’t check your emails when you’re at dinner with your family, or take your laptop with you to the pool. You’ll feel much more refreshed when your private time is truly private, and then you’ll be able to dedicate more energy to your work and get more done in the same amount of time.
It might be hard to believe, but your business won’t fall apart if you go on vacation for two weeks. If it will, then you have a bigger problem than time management. It’s vital to have the right systems and employees, so that your business can manage without you for as long as two weeks.
Studies have shown that it takes a week to wind down from the stress of your regular work and start to relax. If you cut your vacation to just one week, you won’t tap into the same stress-relief benefits.
There are so many ways that tech can lighten your burden and help you find the right work life balance. Many tools have a free or low-cost plan for small businesses, so you only pay for the capabilities you need.
There are SaaS automation tools for bookkeeping, appointment scheduling, email marketing, payroll — the list goes on. For example, Payoneer can automate sending payments to your suppliers or contractors every month.
Automating your own tasks has an obvious benefit, but it’s also worth automating your employees’ activities. When they have more time to spare, you’ll be able to hand over some of your own tasks and free yourself to spend less time at the office.
Your physical health affects your work-life balance in a fundamental way. As simple as it sounds, a toothache can cause you to make bad decisions in both your work and your personal life, and damage relationships with your employees and your loved ones.
On the other hand, when your body is in good shape, you’ll be able to manage your work and your personal life more effectively. You’ll feel less stressed and more focused, which helps you be more productive at work so you can spend more time on the things you enjoy. This includes getting regular medical and dental checkups, exercising, eating a healthy and balanced diet, and most of all, getting enough sleep.
Time management skills aren’t just for work. You need to schedule things you enjoy, not just work meetings and vital appointments. You might not like to think that you need to plan when to have fun, but if you don’t, the “fun” in your life can get sidelined while you wait for a time when you’re less busy.
Enshrine personal events into your calendar, and honor them like a meeting with a potential customer. Schedule dinner with your family, complete with a reminder half an hour before so you’ll get home in time. Even meeting a friend in a bar for a drink in the evening, or taking a walk round the block in the middle of the morning, deserve a place in your calendar.
You can run a thriving business and also maintain strong relationships with your family, enjoy time with friends, and keep up your hobbies and your health. Remember, finding a work-life balance is an ongoing process, and it may take time to find what works best for you. However, by taking your health and time off seriously, you can achieve a better balance and enjoy the benefits of a more fulfilling personal and professional life.
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By using Payoneer, business owners can streamline their international payment processes, reducing stress and avoiding costly fees. To learn more about how Payoneer can help your business, click below or open an account today.