The Tips - Part 4 (Simplifying Our Life)

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   Cut back on the amount of time spent working. If you are working longer hours than what you're being paid for, it's time to reassess why. Ask yourself what you're getting out of and be honest. If you keep telling yourself "just this once", how many times will it take before that excuse runs dry?
   • See if you can work less hours than now. Ask for a part-time role. Readjust your spending habits to cope with the decrease in pay, increase in time for yourself.
   • Leave your work at work. Quit taking it home every day. If it didn't get done at work, it's time to reassess your working habits. Ask yourself what value you and your workplace are getting from taking work home every day.
   • Stop working weekends. Even if you love your work, dragging work into your weekends starts unbalancing the proportion in your life. You might not feel it right now, but eventually, this will lead to burn out and/or passion reduction. Block off every weekend for the next six months. Not a single one of those weekends can include work from now on.
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   Simplify work tasks. Our work day is made up of an endless list of work tasks. If you simply try to knock off all the tasks on your to-do list, you’ll never get everything done, and worse yet, you’ll never get the important stuff done. Focus on the essential tasks and eliminate the rest.
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   Try commuting less. See if you can perform some telecommuting for a change, even just a few days a month.
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   Take break times. Whatever your job, however much you love it, breaks are an essential part of rejuvenating your life. Life becomes much more complicated when you stop seeing things afresh. So, be sure to take all breaks, from morning tea and lunch, to vacation times. Your work won't feel half as complicated on your return.
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   Clear your desk. If you have a cluttered desk, it can be distracting and disorganized and stressful. Clean it off regularly, perhaps every Friday afternoon before leaving work.