When to Hustle, When to Rest
Hustle is a popular word these days. You see it everywhere from social media pages, tweets, Pinterest boards, and more. This word embodies a mission, to work hard and continuously toward our goals. In this way, hustle is positive. However, so is rest. In a job market that is constantly pushing you to work harder and longer, how do you prevent burnout? How do you separate work from personal life?
Work-life balance is not a new concept. However, even with the attention and importance put on finding a good balance, you are still encouraged to “hustle” daily. There are main hustles, side hustles, weekend hustles. We know by studying the effects of poor work-life balance that all work and no play is not only counterproductive but also damaging to your health. Discover simple ways to find the line between hustle and rest with these quick steps.
Set Clear Work and Personal Goals
If you’re going to hustle hard, make sure you have clear goals set so you know what you’re trying to achieve. Without direction, you are working hard but going nowhere. After all, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Write down your goals, break them down into tasks, and give them deadlines.
Prioritize your goals. No matter how motivated you are, your time and energy will soon wear thin. Consider your most important, pressing goals and let the others go.
Create goals that align with your passions as well as career. What do you want to achieve outside of work? Your career can easily consume your planning and goal setting. Don’t forget your passion and personal life needs to be a priority as well.
Schedule Personal Time Like You Do Work Tasks
When setting up your daily or weekly schedule, include personal time as well. Your to-do list only grows. Include blocks of time devoted solely to your personal life, including downtime.
Prioritize personal time. Just as you prioritize your goals, schedule your personal time based on importance and let go of the rest. You have errands and activities that you haveto do. Put those on your schedule. Then, set in time to do those activities you wantto do!
Listen to Your Body
This may sound funny, but your body gives you many cues and listening to them is important. Elevated stress and over-extending your mind and body can cause physical health problems. Are you easily irritable? Finding it hard to focus? Is your heart racing? Do you feel anxiety and stress? These physical and emotional cues are telling you something – you need to rest!
Long-term effects of poor work-life balance include higher risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, higher risk of depression and anxiety, and higher stress and cortisol levels.
When you do step away from work to rest or enjoy activities in your personal life, let go of guilt. Rest when you are resting. Be consciously present in the activities you are doing. You can do this by turning off work-related electronics. Silent or leave behind a work phone, turn off notifications, etc. If possible, let your manager, director, and work team members know when you will and will not be able to respond. By communicating your boundaries, everyone knows what to expect.
Delegate Work When Possible
Don’t feel obligated to take on every task yourself. Outsource work when you can. Consider a cleaning and laundry service. Have your groceries delivered.
You can also outsource time consuming tasks at work like payroll, timekeeping, and onboarding. Charleston Payroll specializes in providing exactly what you need! We offer powerful, online payroll, onboarding, timekeeping, and HR resources. You will find a solution to not only elevate your business but also give you more time. Achieve work-life balance and discover the line between hustle and rest with the help of Charleston Payroll!