There seems to be lots of talk these days about having a good work/life balance.
Ask just about anyone who works — whether in a job or in self-employment — what they desire the most and they’ll likely tell you that they wish they could just have a good work/life balance.
This could be you, too, but how do you even know it’s something you should work on achieving?
Even though the definition of what a “healthy” work/life balance is, is completely subjective, and will, of course, vary from person to person and situation to situation, there are some signs to keep an eye out for to see if your work/life balance might be out of whack.
You Are Always Tired
A big sign that your work/life balance isn’t actually that balanced at all is when you are constantly feeling tired, burned out, and sometimes just overwhelmingly exhausted. Fatigue might be normal after a particularly busy or stressful day or week, but when you feel like this every single day, something in your routine needs to change.
It can help to start tracking your moods and your energy levels. Every day, write down every occurrence when you feel exhaustion, similar to burnout or when you are extremely stressed. Write down the time, what was going on that brought it on, and how long the feeling lasted.
You may notice patterns with your fatigue, such as always being tired after talking to a certain friend or client, or being exhausted as soon as you step foot in the office. This is how you know what areas of your work/life balance need to be improved.
You Lose Your Patience Easily
Irritability and moodiness are also extremely common among people who aren’t balancing out their time properly. When you don’t have a good work/life balance, everything suffers. You feel a lot of stress because your personal life follows you to work and your work life follows you home. It feels like everything is piling up and you can’t escape any of it.
If you are getting moody, snapping at people, or are just feeling an overwhelming sense of irritability, it is time to create some boundaries and figure out how to balance your time a little better.
You Have Issues With Friends and Family
If you have been noticing a lot of disagreements and problems with your relationships, including friendships and family members, this could be a sign that you need to work on your work/life balance.
Having the occasional disagreement is one thing, but constant bickering and fighting is not normal in a personal or professional relationship. You might notice this happens when you have a lot of distractions or when work is particularly stressful. Maybe you have found that your personal life is suffering because of work obligations, so you know you aren’t spending enough time on your personal life.
You Are Experiencing Problems at Work
In addition to issues with people in your personal life, you might also notice an increased number of problems with clients or co-workers, colleagues, or supervisors. You may also notice that your own work is struggling.
Maybe your output of work is slowing down, or the quality of work isn’t your best. You might be missing deadline after deadline, and starting to experience problems with supervisors who are noticing your work is suffering.
If you’re self-employed, you may be experiencing overwhelm over clients, finances, and your creative work.
You Never Do Anything You Enjoy
Apathy is another sign to be aware of when it comes to your work/life balance. When you are apathetic about life or work or your business, something is wrong. You may have this complete lack of feeling and passion, like nothing matters and you just don’t find joy in anything. Not only is this a sign of your work/life balance suffering, but could also be a warning sign of depression.
You Are Constantly in a State of Stress
Stress is a normal emotion for anyone, and can’t be avoided completely, but how you choose to respond to it is what makes the difference between having a healthy or unhealthy work/life balance. When you have a good balance of time and energy between your personal and professional life, you are able to handle stress much more effectively. You know where your time is spent, and can figure out what is triggering it.
But if you feel incapable of handling any amount of stress in your life and like it just affects everything, then it could be a sign that your work/life balance needs some improvement.
Publisher of Great Living Today, your one-stop source for greater living featuring tips, techniques, and programs in the areas of health & wellness, wealth, time management, business, love, relationships, and happiness. Marty is a life, business, and wellness coach helping his clients to live their best lives.