When you have a million things on your plate, it feels like there’s no way to achieve that perfect work/life balance. Fortunately, that’s not true! With a little work and organization, you can achieve that work/life balance you’ve always wanted.

Leave work at work

I know it’s easier said than done, especially since many of us are still working from home, but muting you emails at a certain time every day or shutting down your laptop at 5 p.m. is a good place to start. Work will always be there when you get back.

Use your commute, or a daily walk if you work from home, to decompress. This helps me relax and be present by the time I get home.

Learn the value of “no”

No is not a bad word. For a long time, I thought if I didn’t say yes to every opportunity that came my way, I wasn’t working to my full potential. Saying no to something you know you can’t give (or don’t want to give) 100% to is OK!

Three great books on how to say no without feeling guilty are, How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty: And Say Yes to More Time, and What Matters Most to You by Patti Breitman and the two book combo, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck & Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson. They do an awesome job at explaining the art of no and how to say it with peace of mind and setting personal boundaries!

Manage your time

My planner is my life. I love the feeling of crossing off a task but it just doesn’t feel the same with digital calendars, so I always reach for the yearly planner agendas with the sticky notes for that extra organized feeling. 

For the first 10-15 minutes of my day, before I even open my laptop, I write out my goals and tasks for the day, ranging from most time sensitive to least time sensitive. I get distracted easily, so if my planner isn’t organized, then I’m not organized, which leads to an unproductive day.

Setting timers hava, also, helped me budget my time better because I’m not working on the same thing for multiple hours, leading to a complete burnout. I’ve always loved hourglasses because of the aesthetic and they give me a sense of calm, so I have two I use daily: a 30-minute hourglass and a 60-minute hourglass. They’re useful and cute pieces of office decor!

Create an office space you love

If I’m not in a space I feel comfortable in, I can’t work to my full potential, so I like to have things around me that help me relax while getting work done.

I always want to have Blue with me but it’s hard choosing just one picture of him, so obviously it’s collage time. I love this frame because I can pop a new picture in all the time with no hassle

My favorite type of frames are those I can pop new pictures into all the time with no hassle. 

Another go-to relaxation decoration of mine are waterfalls, especially when they have a cool, artistic design like this desktop fountain. They have always been a staple of my home office and this 3-tier one is the best because the water falls on actual river rock and makes me feel like I’m relaxing next to a flowing river.

I’m relaxed just thinking about it.

Take time for yourself

If you need a mental health day to focus on you, then take it! Taking care of yourself should always be your number one priority all the time. 

Getting this self-care journal has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Every morning when I get up and every night when I go to bed, I reflect on my day. If you’re ever feeling unproductive, daily reflections are a great way to reassure yourself that you did do something and motivate you to do more (within your limits).

These are the practices that have worked for me over the years and I hope at least one will work for you too!