How to *actually* have a better work-life balance
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA
Maintaining a personal life and also killing it at work can feel like Mission Impossible. Learn what a work-life balance is and 12 ways you can make it a reality in your life.
Sometimes trying to achieve a perfect work-life balance feels like another item on the to-do list. It’s become one of those well-known phrases that looks great on HR posters but can feel laughably out of reach in your actual life. We know you’d love to consistently log off at 5pm, cook a proper meal, and get eight hours of sleep. But in actuality, barely getting through the day, cooking rushed microwaved meals, and then still responding to emails at 9pm probably sounds more familiar.
The idea that you’re supposed to balance work and life perfectly can feel kind of out of touch in a world where “life” includes doctor’s appointments, laundry, dealing with endless group texts, grocery shopping, and trying to have some kind of social life.
Here’s the thing: Work-life balance doesn’t need to be this perfect 50-50 split, and there are manageable ways you can find balance in your life even if the balance is constantly in flux. Let’s dive in.
What is work-life balance?
Many people think that work-life balance should be a perfectly even split of your work life and your personal life. (Imagine a scoop of salted caramel ice cream with the perfect ratio of sweet to salty.) Sadly, life is a lot messier most days. (Like that same ice cream with either way too much salt, or way too much sugar.)
The truth is that you can’t always get the balance of “sweet” and “salty” in life and work-life balance is less about equality and more about equilibrium.
Finding the balance is really an ongoing (and often imperfect) attempt to juggle all the demands of emails, deadlines, and bosses with all the other demands of life like bills and relationships. It’s also about creating space—however small—for your needs, your values, and your life outside of productivity. In other words, it’s a blend of moments of busyness and moments of stillness.
If you’re wanting more balance in your life, consider asking yourself questions like, “Do I feel constantly drained, or do I have any energy left for myself?” and, “Is my work creeping into every corner of my life?” Answering these questions can really help to give you some perspective on the balance in your life.
Remember that work-life balance isn’t a destination, it’s a series of choices. Sometimes you’ll get it right, and sometimes you won’t — and that’s completely fine. Your goal shouldn’t be perfection. It should be to have a little more presence, a little more sustainability, and a little more joy in your life.
Why is work-life balance important?
When your life tilts too far into the work zone and your brain is constantly on, it can take a real toll on your mental health and your relationships.
Plus, giving your best hours, energy, and emotional bandwidth to a job and not a lot to yourself and your loved ones can negatively impact your productivity and lead to possible resentment. It can also have some serious effects like:
High stress levels, even when you’re resting
Tension headaches, fatigue, and gut issues
Lack of motivation
Loss of identity
Finding balance can help to protect your sanity and also your capacity to show up fully in all parts of your life. When you have even a little breathing room, you can be more focused at work, more present with the people who matter, and more connected to you.
How you can improve your work-life balance: 12 mindful tips
No matter how difficult it may feel sometimes, maintaining a personal life and a successful work life at the same time is possible. It might not happen all the time in that perfectly split way, but there are ways to achieve it.
Here are 12 low-lift ways you can create space in your already-packed life so that you can have a little more balance and a little less stress.
1. Set “soft” boundaries that people can actually understand
Soft boundaries help set clear expectations and also leave room for some flexibility. You could tell your coworkers that you don’t check emails after a certain time, but if it’s urgent, they can text you.
You could also put your work hours in your email signature or calendar status. This can help serve as a subtle and non-confrontational reminder that you’re not on call 24/7.
2. Reclaim two minutes like your sanity depends on it
Finding two minutes to disconnect and breathe can be a total game changer and really help to reset you.
Aim to set a timer for two minutes at some point in your day, then close your eyes and try a breathing exercise. Inhale for four, hold for four, and exhale for six. (Here are 10 more types to try.)
3. Do a daily self-check-in
Checking in with yourself can help you become more aware of how you’re feeling before you crash. Once a day, consider asking yourself questions like, “What’s my energy level right now, 1 to 10?”, “What’s taking up most of my brain space?” and “What do I need that I’m ignoring?”
Answering these questions can help show you patterns and also help make it clear to you if your balance is off. Here are 10 other questions you can ask if you want to check in with yourself.
4. Schedule joy like a non-negotiable meeting
Put moments of joy on your calendar and aim to protect them like a dentist appointment. You could read, bake, dance, scroll guilt-free, or call someone who makes you laugh. Try to treat this time as essential and not optional. Also, when the time comes, resist the urge to cancel and be productive.
If it helps you to take this time seriously, consider renaming the event to something official-sounding like “Strategic Recovery Time.” Try to do whatever it takes to help you actually show up for yourself. (If you’re currently feeling like you’ve lost the joy in your life, here are 10 ways that can help you refind it.)
5. Stop glorifying being “busy” and start tracking your energy
Instead of measuring your day by how much you got done, try tracking how often you felt engaged. Consider energy journaling for one week by writing down what you’re doing and how it makes you feel.
This can help you see which tasks drain you and which ones energize you. From there, start rearranging your day, even in small ways, to help front-load energizing work and build in recovery after draining tasks.
6. Create a fake commute to bookend your day
If you work remotely or hybrid, your home and work brain may feel intertwined. To help give you some separation, try creating a “fake commute” by doing a 10-15 minute walk around the block or changing your clothes to signal the shift once your day is over.
As much as possible, aim to make this a consistent and easy ritual so that you teach your nervous system the difference between “work brain” and “rest-of-my-life brain.”
7. Embrace the holy trinity of good enough: automate, delegate, delete
Perfection is a trap, and getting something done and off your plate is freedom. To help you get more stuff done, try to start doing less of the wrong things. At the beginning of your week, consider running through every recurring task and asking yourself if you can automate it, delegate it, or even delete it.
💙 Listen to Jay Shetty’s Perfectionism if you’re having a hard time letting go of trying to be perfect.
8. Use your PTO like a person who knows they deserve rest
If you have paid time off, use it — even if you’re not going anywhere fancy. As much as you can, book long weekends or use a mental health day when everything feels too overwhelming.
You can simply tell your work, “I need a rest today.” Full stop. You could also send a quick message that says: “I’m offline and recharging so I can come back sharper. I’ll respond when I return.”
9. Declare a “no-meetings” zone
Claim a recurring block of time that is just for you to do actual work or decompress if you have some autonomy over your schedule. A good place to start is by blocking off one hour twice a week and labelling it as “Focus Time.” This can help show people that you’re busy.
With that said, if you don’t have that kind of power, ask your manager about it and frame it as protecting your productivity and not escaping responsibilities. Here are 10 ways to reduce burnout and avoid quiet quitting at work.
10. Set a five-minute shutdown routine
Before you “leave” work (whether physically or mentally), consider taking five minutes to close the loop by checking off what you completed and writing down your top three priorities for tomorrow.
You could also close all your tabs and shut your laptop with a sense of finality. This can help your brain let go and it can help stop the workday from bleeding into your night.
11. Don’t carry it alone — ask for help
If you have a hard time ending your day, find an accountability buddy. You could ask your boss to remind you when it’s time to end the day. Or, if you work from home, you could ask a partner or roommate to gently remind you to call it a day.
Also, if you’re drowning in emotional labor, ask for specific help to make it easier for someone to show up for you. You could simply say, “I need more support.” Remind yourself as often as you can that there's nothing wrong with asking for help.
12. Track the good stuff
End your work days on a positive note if you can. To fight off negative self-talk and to prepare you for tomorrow, try doing a 10-second gratitude check-in at the end of every workday. You could ask yourself what went well today, and it doesn’t have to be huge.
It could just be the nice coffee you had, a kind message from a coworker, or simply finishing a work project on time. Celebrating your small victories can help make your workdays less daunting and send you into your off-time feeling positive.
💙 Listen to Negative Self Talk with Tamara Levitt if you tend to be really hard on yourself.
Work-life balance FAQs
What are the signs that I have a bad work-life balance?
If your brain feels like a million tabs are open 24/7 this might be a sign that you don’t have a great work-life balance. Constantly feeling behind, snapping at people you love, never having energy for anything that isn’t work, or fantasizing about quitting your job can also be signs that you need a little more balance.
Additionally, headaches and sleep issues can also be physical symptoms that show up. If you’re currently feeling like you’re always running and never arriving, it might be time to reassess.
How can I set boundaries if my job expects me to be available 24/7?
A good way to set boundaries at your job is to start small and be a little strategic. You don’t have to send a long email outlining all the boundaries you’re going to set. Instead, you could just try getting clear on your limits and then communicating them consistently. You could let your team know that from now on, you won’t be responding to emails after a certain hour unless it’s an actual emergency.
By being clear and taking strategic action, you may be surprised how often people respect the boundaries you set.
Can working remotely improve or worsen work-life balance?
Working remotely can potentially improve and also worsen your work-life balance, depending on how it’s structured. On the one hand, when you work from home, you save time on commuting and can get household chores done more easily. On the other hand, the line between “at work” and “at home” can be a lot blurrier, and you may suddenly find yourself answering emails at midnight.
To set better boundaries, aim to be a little more intentional about when you’re working and when you’re off. Consider designating work hours, setting up a physical workspace, and building rituals that mark the end of your workday.
How do I maintain a work-life balance?
Start looking at your work-life balance as an ever-evolving relationship. Some weeks, you’re going to crush it and leave work on time, cook dinner, and maybe even remember to water your plants. Other weeks, it might feel like total chaos — and that’s okay. You’ll get there.
A good rule of thumb to help maintain some balance is to try to check in regularly and adjust as you go. Think of it like steering a ship. Sometimes, you’re going to get blown off course, but just try to remember in those moments that you can always course-correct.
Can I ask about work-life balance when I’m interviewing for a job?
You absolutely should ask about work-life balance when you’re interviewing for a job. You deserve to know what you’re walking into.
If you’re not sure how to bring it up, you could try asking questions like, “How does your team approach work-life balance?” or, “What does a typical workday look like here?
Getting the answers to these questions can really help give you insight into their policies, and also their priorities. Plus, if they seem evasive or start spouting corporate clichés, it might be a sign that they don’t have a good work-life balance policy.
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