Is work a rewarding and fulfilling part of your life, or is it something that has grown to take up so much of your time and energy that you resent rather than enjoy it?

We all have times when we’re especially busy and need to put in extra hours. But, for a healthy work-life balance, that situation needs to be the exception rather than the norm. So what are the warning signs you need to look out for to check that your balance isn’t tipping in the wrong direction?

• You’re regularly working more than 10 hours a day.

• You barely make a dent in your workload, however hard you work.

• You increase your caffeine or nicotine intake to get you through each day.

• You regularly feel physically and emotionally drained during and after work.

• You take work home with you in the evening or at weekends.

• You suffer from weekly ‘Sunday-night blues’.

• You get a reputation for letting down friends at the last minute. 
Your work should interest you, energise you and give you a buzz. But it should also leave you time to enjoy the other aspects of your life – your friends and family, your hobbies and other interests. We work best when our lives are in balance. 
So if you’ve allowed yourself to get into the situation where work is ruling your life and your nearest and dearest have almost forgotten what you look like, how do you get out of the rut?

The key is to use your time wisely to complete your tasks, not to use more time. You don’t have to be the first person in or the last person out every day to be effective. Make your work hours as productive as possible. If you’re continually pressed for time, use your judgement to prioritise tasks.

It’s always good to have something to look forward to. Whether it’s a night out or a two-week holiday, make sure your calendar has something in it that all your efforts at work are focussed towards. Schedule time off for rest or recreation just as you would budget time to complete an important assignment at work.

If you regularly take time to recharge your batteries, you’ll cope much better when things are unavoidably busy or stressful at work. An important part of good time management is to take some time off - spending less time at work will make you perform much better when you are there!

Source: Monster.co.uk