Five Great Tips for Achieving a Work-Life Balance

News provided by

Jul 24, 2012, 07:30 ET

LONDON, July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

A busy schedule can make taking time out to relax difficult. Moreover, almost half of Brits are unsatisfied with their work- life balance^[1]. Filofax, the personal organiser company, has created five top tips for achieving the perfect work-life balance.

1) Manage your time well

On a Monday morning, jot down a list of tasks which need to be completed by the end of the week. Split this list into achievable 'quick wins' by writing down the amount of time needed to complete each task. Schedule each piece of work into your weekly calendar, checking everything you need to do can actually fit into your working hours. By allocating time for each task, you're less likely to under-estimate how long each activity is going to take.

2) Leave your work at work!

Schedule 10 minutes at the end of each working day to make a list of outstanding projects, deadlines and anything else work-related which is bothering you. Make time in your diary to develop solutions to problems and ask managers and colleagues for help if you're struggling with a heavy workload.

3) Schedule 'personal time' in your diary

Schedule 'personal time' as well as 'work time' in your diary. Place as much importance on 'personal time' spent with friends and family, as you do on 'work time'. Manage time planning for personal activities as efficiently as your working day, to ensure that it's achievable. Plan to leave work on time at least one evening a week, block this out in your diary and make sure nothing interrupts this arrangement.

4) Separate domestic chores and resting time

Don't count domestic chores within your leisure time, schedule these separately, otherwise you could risk spending your free time doing laundry and running errands! Try to alternate chores with fun activities, or schedule half an evening for housework and half for relaxing.

5) Take a lunch break every day

No matter how busy your work schedule, take time out for a proper lunch break each day. Go outside, enjoy some fresh air and give yourself a break to re-charge for the afternoon ahead. Block out time for lunch breaks in your diary, even if it's just a 10 minute walk and a quick bite to eat, this change of scenery may be just what you need for a productive afternoon.

Sharon Golbey, from Filofax, comments: "With busy lives it can be easy to blur the line between work and rest, we all know it's important to have personal down time, but taking time out for ourselves can be easier said than done."

Golbey continues: "Use the same organiser to schedule work and life commitments, this way, at a glance you can see if a new appointment is likely to conflict with your current plans. Colour coding is a great way to differentiate between domestic chores and personal relaxing time. An a4 leather folder is useful for keeping your diary, notebook, business cards and everything you need to plan your work-life balance together in one place."

Notes to editors: