photo via flickr user Brittney Bush Bollay
As someone who owns her own business I spend a lot of time working. It takes a great deal of time, energy and discipline to work for yourself, but over the years I’ve learned how to manage that time in a way that doesn’t eat into my social life.
I haven’t always been a master at this balancing act of work and life. When I first started doing PR I found I had little work to do, but was still working constantly. The culprit wasn’t time, however, but the fact that I wasn’t using my time efficiently. It was that inefficient work lifestyle that led to me feeling burnt out and resentful. But rather than give up a career I loved, I realized I had to change the way I balanced my life.
Here are a few things that have helped me when it comes to keeping my professional life out of my personal life:
Set boundaries with the e-mail
To avoid being overwhelmed by the stress of work when I’m off the clock, I deleted my email from my phone and know that when I shut my computer down that signifies the end of the work day. Unless you’re an ER doctor, you probably don’t need to be connected to your work all the time. Once I realized this, my life changed. I work in PR, which means no matter what pressure a client is putting on me, I don’t have work emergencies that can’t wait to be solved the next day during office hours.
Prioritize your personal life
Your personal life should be just as important as your professional life. Don’t put your friends and family on the back burner. When I first started fifteen media, I would cancel recreational plans because of this gnawing feeling I had that always told me I should be working. In reality this feeling is just a mixture of the anxiety that comes from satisfying clients for the first time, and the excitement that comes with being in charge and doing what you love.
I’ve learned the best way to calm that inner voice is scheduling. I schedule both personal and professional events on the same calendar. This way one doesn’t take priority over the other. Yes, being an entrepreneur comes with sacrifice, but something is wrong when you start sacrificing everything you love.
Find your mornings
I realize everyone is different and not all of my tips will be helpful, especially this one as people tend to be particular about their sleep. Just hear me out.
I used to be a night owl. In college, I would make sure all my classes were scheduled for the afternoon so I could sleep all morning. Even when I first started freelancing I would work all night and sleep until noon. And while sleeping in may sound amazing, it wasn’t very productive and ended up creating more stress from not being able to get anything done between phone calls and e-mails.
I finally decided one day to bite the bullet and start waking up early. After one morning of getting an insane amount of work done before everyone else was up, I was hooked.
Schedule everything
I keep a thorough schedule. On Sunday nights I sit down and try to plan out my whole week. This helps me know what I’m working on each day or who I’m meeting. Not only does it help keep me on top of things, but it also helps from overbooking projects and allows clients the opportunity to book in advance.
Learn to say “no”
Saying “no” can be difficult for people. It’s especially hard when you own a business and feel the need to please all of your clients. But saying “yes” to everything can hurt more than help when your schedule becomes overwhelming and stressful. When I stopped worrying about saying “no” to projects or social events it was a huge wait off my shoulders. Eventually you will stop feeling guilty and realize that much needed break from networking helps refresh your work life and renew your passion.
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