You're struggling to find personal time in a demanding job. How can you establish boundaries to protect it?
Feeling the squeeze of work-life imbalance? Share your strategies for carving out personal time amidst a hectic schedule.
You're struggling to find personal time in a demanding job. How can you establish boundaries to protect it?
Feeling the squeeze of work-life imbalance? Share your strategies for carving out personal time amidst a hectic schedule.
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👉🏻SCHEDULE TIME FOR YOURSELF AND RESPECT IT. One hour a day for yourself is minimal compared to the hours spent on WORK or DISTRACTIONS. 👉🏻Choose times for yourself realistically. 👉🏻Like our PHONES, we need to RECHARGE our batteries. RECHARGING ACTIVITIES: SPORTS, FRIENDS, MUSIC, HOBBIES, NATURE. 💪🏻These activities will make you more EFFICIENT at work afterward. You’re not losing time; you’re gaining it.
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To establish boundaries and protect personal time in a demanding job, start by prioritizing your tasks. Use the "urgent vs important" framework to decide what needs immediate attention and what can wait. Set clear expectations with colleagues and leaders regarding your availability — let them know when you are offline or focused on personal time. Utilize calendar blocks for breaks or personal activities, and stick to them like a meeting. Learn to say no or delegate tasks when possible, and avoid the "always-on" mentality. Lastly, schedule personal time as an unmovable event, making it non-negotiable. By consciously managing your workload, you create space for a healthier work-life balance.
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I ask myself two key questions: What's one thing I could do regularly in my personal life that would create a major positive shift? What's one professional habit that, done consistently, would lead to big career gains? Once I know these, I lock in focused time to honor them no matter what. Real growth happens when I put energy into these life goals. Setting boundaries is crucial, too, and I guard mine assertively, often using a "sandwich approach"—a positive, then my boundary, then another positive. Practical tip: Schedule non-negotiable "me-time" just like work meetings. This way, your personal needs get the same priority. It’s game-changing!
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Marjan Abadie(edited)
Here are 3 keys to protect your personal time and optimize your well-being without sacrificing your performance: ☀️ Well-being and performance: Your mantra will be: "My health impacts my work." This helps you avoid guilt. ☀️ Mindfulness : Practice mindfulness to assess your priorities, enhance your focus, and stay present to your needs. ☀️ 80/20 Principle: Accept letting go of perfectionism
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To carve out personal time in a demanding job, start by setting clear boundaries. Define your work hours and communicate them to your team, ensuring they know when you’re unavailable. Use tools like “Do Not Disturb” and silence notifications after hours. Schedule personal activities on your calendar, treating them as non-negotiable appointments. Learn to say “no” to non-essential tasks and delegate when possible. Practice leaving work at work by creating a ritual, like a short walk, to signal the end of your day. By setting and reinforcing these boundaries, you can protect your personal time effectively.
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Determine what personal time looks like for you. Is it evenings free from work, weekends without emails, or specific hours for exercise or family? Be clear about what you need to recharge.Let your coworkers, managers, and direct reports know about your boundaries. Be clear and professional, but firm in communicating when you’re not available. For example: “I’m happy to help with any urgent matters during the day, but after 6 PM, I’m offline and will respond the next morning.”Prioritize your work based on what is truly important or time-sensitive. Learn to say no or ask for extensions when necessary. Not everything needs to be addressed immediately, and pushing back non-urgent tasks allows you to protect your time.
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Set Clear Work Hours: Define when your workday starts and ends, and stick to it. Learn to Say No: Politely decline extra tasks that interfere with your personal time. Communicate Boundaries: Be clear with colleagues and managers about your availability. Use Technology: Automate tasks, turn off notifications, and set "Do Not Disturb" during personal time. Prioritize Self-Care: Schedule time for relaxation, exercise, and hobbies. Create a Transition Routine: Use an end-of-day ritual to mentally switch from work to personal time. Unplug Regularly: Disconnect from work on weekends or during days off to recharge.
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Struggling to find personal time in a demanding job requires setting and maintaining clear boundaries. Start by defining your non-negotiables, such as specific times for rest, family, or hobbies. Communicate these boundaries openly with your team, letting them know when you’re unavailable. Use tools like calendars and focus blocks to protect your personal time, treating it as you would an important meeting. Practice saying “no” to non-essential tasks and delegate responsibilities when possible. Disconnect from work after hours by silencing notifications or creating a wind-down routine. Protecting personal time isn’t selfish—it’s essential for maintaining energy, focus, and overall well-being.
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Establishing boundaries has been key for me in protecting personal time. One strategy I use is setting specific work hours and sticking to them as much as possible, which helps prevent work from spilling into personal time. I also block out time in my calendar for self-care or activities I enjoy, treating it as non-negotiable. Communicating my boundaries clearly has been really helpful in ensuring that expectations are aligned.
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We don't find time. We make it. It has to be intentional. I would start by exploring what, if any, hesitations there are about setting boundaries. Is there inner resistance from doing so? Is there fear? Or doubt? In what? Without clearing any emotional blocks, tactical tips could be ineffective. But once clear, I've found that the greatest way to protect boundaries is to get others to help you create them, buy into them, and make you accountable for keeping them. If they're clear on the impact that not keeping them has on you, and how it will effect them, and if they truly care about your wellbeing, they will help you enforce them with yourself and others. So find lateral and vertical allies who can advocate for you
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