Before cell phones were a commonality, leaving work at work was a somewhat easier task than what many are familiar with today. Even just 20 years ago, you likely were not contacted in the middle of the night regarding your work, unless you were a doctor with an on-call pager. So, how can we effectively implement work-life balance when it seems that work never shuts off?
First things first, our ability to maintain work-life balance is dependent on boundaries. Setting boundaries with your employer and/or subordinates is essential to creating a healthy professional relationship and openly communicating your availability to your team. Some jobs require on-call flexibility and other irregular hours, but being as firm on those boundaries as possible will establish a good starting point for work-life balance in your life.
Now, we know that as a business owner, there are “emergencies” and unexpected events that may pull you away from your designated no-work times, but we often mistake others’ emergencies for our own. There is a balance between keeping clients and customers happy and overworking to please customers that do not respect working hours. The best thing you can do is to create an emergency category in your business. List out all possible circumstances that could be classified as an emergency, and only when those situations arise, will you respond outside of work hours.
If there is going to be a point where you are taking an extended time off (i.e., vacation, medical leave, etc.), be sure you have someone trained to handle your responsibilities. While this may not negate all contact during your time off, it will limit it to the person who is taking over for you in the hopes that they can field any incoming communications from employees or customers.
These pieces are not easy to implement, and none of them are foolproof, but in creating expectations for your availability, your customers and employees will respect the time that you do offer during business hours and also appreciate the times you are there to fix an emergency outside of hours. Then, you will feel more comfortable taking the time you need outside of work to complete tasks, relax, and gather your thoughts for another day!
