Raise of hands, who else is feeling a bit overwhelmed by work right now? Being that many of you are small business owners, I wouldn’t blame you for feeling like your work-life balance is out of balance. I know I still struggle with this, and, of course, a “perfect balance” doesn’t really exist. Sometimes work is tipping the scales and sometimes it's life, but let’s be honest, it’s usually work.
From conversations I’ve had with many of you, I know you’re putting in more than the usual 40 hours a week — early mornings, late nights, and weekends are part of your norm.
However, staying in a prolonged state where work overwhelms your personal life or vice versa has its consequences. When our work takes over our lives and leaves no room for anything else, this can be highly stressful. And that stress can take mental and physical tolls — lack of sleep, irritability, lower immunity, higher risks of injury, etc. On the other hand, if you let life overtake work, then you may not have work to come back to.
Though no formula exists for creating a perfect work-life balance, in a blog from Score.org, Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet, lists a few tips to help you find your center.
1. Establish a no-work zone
Whether this is a time of day or a particular location, keep this space free of business emails and phone calls, computer work, and “shop talk.” Give yourself a chance to step back from work and reconnect with the other important areas of your life.
2. Get organized
By setting up a more structured schedule, it will allow you to see where you may be wasting time and overextending yourself. Try to list all your to-dos based on priority. Is it a “must-do quickly,” a “must-do in the near future,” a “must-do but not anytime soon”, or a “don’t really need to do at all?”
3. Don’t be afraid to delegate
It can be hard to step back and allow someone else to take charge, but eliminating some of those tasks from your to-do list can help free up some of your time. Your lead tech or shop manager can handle more responsibilities when needed. If it’s not something you have to do, pass it along to another employee. This way you’ll not only gain a bit of breathing room, but you’ll be able to dedicate yourself to the shop in other ways like making plans for the future.
Finding your balance takes some work, but in the end, it’s worth it.
About the Author
Emily Markham
Editor | PTEN and Professional Distributor
Emily Markham is the editor of Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN) and Professional Distributor magazines. She has been writing about the automotive aftermarket since 2019, after graduating from UW-La Crosse with a bachelor's degree in English. During her first three years with Endeavor Business Media's Vehicle Repair Group, Markham also wrote for Fleet Maintenance magazine.