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Do you feel that work is the only activity that you do the whole day? You’re not the only one. A lot of professionals struggle to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life. 

Having a work-life balance is necessary. It can prevent professionals from having severe burnout. Moreover, people are far more productive if they have a work-life balance. 

Therefore, we have asked 16 Marketers to share their advice on how to maintain a work-life balance.

Andrea Shirey, CEO at One Nine Design

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to evaluate work-life balance weekly, not daily. As business owners, we know that any given day can shift on a dime. We may plan to spend a few hours working and then head out early for a long lunch with a friend or to take a fitness class, only to get caught up in a phone call or unexpected crisis.

There will always be heavy days where work seems to take more of a priority than other parts of life, and that’s okay as long as your weekly work-life balance evens out in general. I advise taking a mid-week pause and evaluating the balance so far. Are you on track? Do you need to schedule additional downtime later in the week? Delegate a set of tasks to a colleague?

There’s no such thing as perfect balance, but when you view it weekly and make minor adjustments, you’re more likely to feel like you’ve achieved your goals – both at work and in your personal life.

Anna Zubkova, Outreach Team Lead at Sender.net – Omnichannel Platform

In a challenging and dynamic marketing world, it’s hard to get rest sometimes — all deadlines, new strategies, and other responsibilities might be a bit overwhelming. Therefore, it’s important to get in sync with our bodies and mind, or else we’ll burn out.

For me, one of my favorite things to do when I want to disconnect from work is gym. Physical activity is great when you want to clear your head. Also, many studies show that it boosts your cognitive health, including learning and thinking, hence, more ideas during work hours!

I also like to disconnect from interruptions and focus on one task at a time, so I won’t need to stay late. I promise you, work without any interruptions for 2-3 hours, and you’ll see that sometimes what might take a few days, takes a couple of hours when you focus.

Most importantly, I prioritize. Not all tasks are life-or-death situations (none are, actually!), so just prioritize and remember that rest and time for yourself should be at the top of your priorities.

Gerry Dimova, Content Marketing Manager at ScreenRec

Two words: Priorities and focus. The problem is not that we don’t have enough time. It’s just that we need to be a bit more strategic about how we spend it. And we need to be ruthless about protecting it.

An example of priorities is filtering the information that we consume. If I had unlimited time, I’d read all the articles and books about marketing. But the reality is that I can’t do that. So, I have to use my discernment and read or watch the stuff that really helps me grow in the direction I want.

An example of focus is dividing your hours in time for communication and time for work. I know. It feels almost like a crime… But if you learn to set the right boundaries and to communicate more effectively, you will actually be doing a favor to the people you work with.

One rule I have is that if it’s not going to be a discussion, it’s not going to be a meeting. If I just have to share my screen and explain something to someone, I’d rather record a video that they can watch over and over, instead of having them attend a thirty-minute monologue of a “meeting” that can bore them to death. This also helps me create reusable content. So, when I get the same question again… Boom! I send the video and go on with my day.

Work never ends. You are the one who has to put the limits and protect your time. In the end, it’s up to you to decide that you want better work-life balance and start saying No to the things that don’t serve this purpose. And believe me, you will find yourself saying No much more often than Yes.

Lily Will, CEO at Ever Wallpaper

I’m consciously making an effort to set aside time for both work and personal or leisure activities and trying to schedule work tasks during times when I know I’m most productive.

I say no to additional work commitments if I feel like I already stretched too thin.

I also think open communication with my employee is important so she’s aware of my other commitments and can help me to find a balance that works for both of us.

I’m not afraid to ask for support from my family and friends when I need it. I’m also using childcare and other domestic tasks services sometimes when I feel that would just take away my free time.

One tip to not burn out: Just remember that there will be times when work demands will take precedence over everything else. However, try to make sure that these periods are the exception rather than the rule.

Holly Worthington, Content Editor at Modern Retail

Employees can have a significant positive impact on helping people to maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

In the retail industry, for example, employees that have a two-way approach to communication have more productive team members, as well as being able to identify any unrealistic time expectations and find resolutions to improve work-life balance. 

The best working relationships are those where honest and constructive conversations can take place, whether employees need to take time away from work, or identify any time constraints that are not realistic and therefore have an impact on their personal life. 

By having regular meetings, measuring success and analysing feedback, it can benefit everybody, creating the opportunity to introduce new ideas that could make a positive difference and improve work-life balance.

Yulia Zubova, Outreach Specialist at Snov.io

Productivity is not about how many hours you spend working. It’s about how cleverly you can automate those tasks that can be automated and spare time for manual activities. For example, instead of sending tons of emails to a long list of potential customers, candidates, influencers, etc., you can rely on an email automation service that will do the job for you.

There are plenty of email automation tools available on the market today. Majority of them provide a possibility to build and program email sequences that are sent automatically according to the schedule you choose and depending on the recipient’s reactions within every preceding message.

With email automation tools, you may be sure email follow-ups will be sent timely, while you’re busy with top-priority tasks. Eventually, you won’t need to work all day long and dedicate time to leisure activities.

Dorota Lysienia, Community Manager at LiveCareer

Create a shutdown ritual

Taking good care of yourself is essential in balancing your workload and keeping a healthy work-life balance. Due to remote work, many people struggle with setting clear boundaries between their work-related and personal tasks.

They often feel they must be online and immediately respond to Slack messages. We tend to forget about the pre-pandemic reality when we were also not available 24/7. Taking a break for lunch or getting coffee with our colleagues was a normal part of our day that we didn’t feel guilty about.

My advice is to create a shutdown ritual that signals the end of the workday. Try to turn your mind off by taking a short walk after a busy day. It will give you a feeling of a “fake commute”, help quiet down work-related thoughts, and let you smoothly transition into your free time.

It’s also a good idea to take regular breaks during the day to make sure you have the time to refill your energy. How about a short meditation session or some back exercises? Such activities will help you stay productive and positively influence your general well-being.

Ammara Tariq, Marketing Manager at Chanty

Develop compassion

Letting off obsessiveness is one of the most crucial steps to achieving a sense of work-life balance.

The pursuit of perfection may have contributed to some achievements in school and the early stages of a career. However, the stress it generates mounts up over time. As our responsibilities grow, our physiological and mental capacities are put under more stress.

Realizing that life isn’t always simple is vital. Everyone has difficulties, and you won’t always do things “perfectly.” You can make a change toward a more empathetic development attitude to work and life by realizing this reality. This may support a feeling of balance.

It can also serve as an illustrative example for others who require hearing this message.

Sunny Kumar, Founder & CEO at HeySERP

I don’t think there is any definitive answer to this question since everyone’s situation is different. However, I would say that some tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance include:

1. Make sure to set aside time for yourself every day, even if it’s just 30 minutes. This time can be used for whatever you want – reading, taking a walk, listening to music, etc.

2. Don’t bring work home with you. Once you’re done for the day, try to forget about work until the next morning. This can be difficult, but it’s important to have some time where you’re not thinking about your job.

3. Find a hobby or activity that you enjoy outside of work. This will give you something to look forward to during the week and help you relax.

4. Spend time with family and friends. They can provide support and help you remember what’s important in life.

5. Take care of your health. Make sure to exercise, eat well, and get enough sleep. If you’re not taking care of yourself, it will be difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

These are just a few tips, but I think they’re all important for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Everyone’s situation is different, so you might have to find what works best for you. But if you’re struggling with finding a balance, these tips might help.

Abbey Claire Dela Cruz, Marketing Manager at Poptin LTD

It’s always been in my character to respect my company’s time and money because they’ve trusted me with the job fully, so I try to keep my working hours as focused as possible. 

How you start your day makes all the difference. I usually start by replying to important/urgent emails, and then work on my major & more significant tasks based on the list I wrote the day prior. It also helps to get my phone outside my reach to avoid the urge to scroll through social media, which always takes minutes of my time.

Soon as I finish the work day, I see to it that I also shut down my brain with all the work stuff and just concentrate on talking and bonding with my family. I make that time worth it. It’s kind of my rest as well.

Maria Shelaieva, Marketing Specialist at SPDLoad

To live we need to work. To feel a personal realization we need to develop our skills, expand our knowledge base, and have money.

We can get it all from education and work. So work is already a part of our lives, as we spend 8 hours a day on it, so it’s important to have work that you will enjoy.

But we all need rest, bears fall asleep for winter, threes get off their leaves and people need to take relax periodically.

One of the main keys is having good skills in time management. Don’t frustrate and procrastinate while you are doing your work and you will finish it on time. Then you won’t need to do overtime, so you will have enough time to live your life as you wish.

Get yourself a hobby, that won’t cross with your job duties. It should be interesting and engaging, so you will have the desire to do it when you have free time.

Also, lots of things depend on the company you’re working in. Avoid toxic relationships with colleagues, discuss problems if you have so, and have a line between work and personal life. You can make friends with colleagues it will affect well on your life as well.

To sum up, there are several tips: boost your time management skills, have a comfortable company, get a hobby, have a work-life line, and have a job that you enjoy.

Hoping, that was useful.

Megan Mosley, Operations at Referral Rock

Our company is all remote. Everyone knows it’s already difficult to find that balance between work life and ‘real’ life. But working remotely often means I am working in the middle of both – which can be incredibly difficult. Carving out the time for yourself and your family is important. So when I am done working for the day, I completely unplug.

All work tasks are closed and notifications are turned off. I always have to remind myself that even if you have a great relationship with your coworkers, managers, etc. and you have been an all-star employee – employees are replaceable.

What isn’t interchangeable is your family and health – so definitely have to learn to make time for yourself, even if it’s scheduled. If I didn’t start making time for myself, I’d have serious burnout.

Paul Leslie, Content Writer at ZeroBounce

The only way I’ve found to ensure a work-life balance is to schedule everything. There’s always something that needs to be done, so if I decided to work until I’m finished, I never would stop.

If I plan on working out at 5:00 PM but have just a few minutes to complete a task, I’ll finish it. On the other hand, if something takes twice as much time as I thought it would, I estimate how much more time it will need. Then I schedule that as well, even if it means adding it to the next day. Go to the gym. You’ll be refreshed and your mental ability will get a boost when it’s time to get back to it.

My most critical tip is that scheduling breaks and stop times is necessary. It increases productivity and makes you work harder because you are more likely to work effectively if you follow a schedule. I almost look at it like class periods from school.

Anna Mroczkowski, Content Distribution and Outreach Manager, at Massive.io

My top advice for maintaining a work-life balance is to set personal boundaries. Establish work-life balance goals and determine what boundaries you need to set to obtain them. Remember, your version of work-life balance may look different compared to your co-worker’s, which is entirely okay.

Work-life balance goals can be, learning how to unplug at the end of each day, not feeling guilty for taking all your dedicated vacation days, learning how to say “no,” having a set day without any meetings or even just eating lunch away from your desk. Set realistic goals that will make you happy in the end.

Establishing goals and setting boundaries allows you to maintain a more robust work-life balance that works for your life, schedule, and needs.

Dmitrijs Bažanovs, Marketing Team Member at Luxafor

My top advice for maintaining a work-life balance is to set personal boundaries. Establish work-life balance goals and determine what boundaries you need to set to obtain them. Remember, your version of work-life balance may look different compared to your co-worker’s, which is entirely okay.

Work-life balance goals can be, learning how to unplug at the end of each day, not feeling guilty for taking all your dedicated vacation days, learning how to say “no,” having a set day without any meetings or even just eating lunch away from your desk. Set realistic goals that will make you happy in the end.

Establishing goals and setting boundaries allows you to maintain a more robust work-life balance that works for your life, schedule, and needs.

Tufan Erdogan, Outreach Coordinator at Jotform

I believe that the best way to find work-life balance is to have something you are passionate about in your life other than your work. I’m not talking about a simple hobby that you enjoy engaging in whenever you have free time and can surely live without. What I mean is something that makes you feel fulfilled and motivated.

When you don’t have any other passions it is very probable for your work to become the top priority in your life and you can lose work-life balance quite easily. I strongly believe that when you have something in your life that you are truly passionate about, it also motivates you to be more present and become more productive during your work hours.