Feeling Like a Hot Mess? 15 Simple Habits That Will Get You Back on Track with Your Life
Trying to balance work and personal life is a never ending struggle. Add exercise into the mix and it can become downright impossible to juggle everything, especially if you have a family. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
With a few adjustments to your lifestyle and habits, it is doable to successfully balance all three without burning yourself out. Here are 15 suggestions to help you get back on track!
Make Time for Exercise

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When you are juggling work and personal life, exercise tends to fall by the wayside, especially if you have a family. But working out is important for your mental and physical health. It helps clear your head, provides a way to release any tension or anxiety, and of course helps you stay in shape. How can you squeeze it in such a packed schedule?
The best way is to look at what your typical day looks like and go from there. Perhaps you can find a gym that’s open early and late. Or you can work out at home. Maybe you can take a half hour brisk walk around the neighborhood. Find some way to fit exercise in your routine.
Hone Your Time Management Skills

Time management is one of the most crucial skills to learn. Poor time management leads to stress, anxiety, and burnout. You may forget to do important tasks or make mistakes as you try to rush things. Instead, take control of how you spend your time and get organized.
Use a planner and write down appointments, trips, workout classes, etc. Make “to do” lists on your phone. Hang a white board in a prominent part of your home and jot down important things. Organize your tasks in order of importance or urgency.
Similarly, at work use a work management app to track meetings, break down which projects are pending, when certain work is due, and so on.
Subscribe to a Meal Subscription Kit

The last thing anyone wants to do after a long day at work is to plan and make dinner. But eating out can be very expensive, as is home delivery. If you have the means, consider a meal subscription kit. These kits offer pre-arranged meals with the exact amount of ingredients ready for cooking.
There are many varieties of meal kits available, ranging from requiring a modest amount of prep like chopping vegetables, or zero prep with pre-cooked, microwavable meals. You can customize the plan according to your dietary needs or desires, which means you can stick to healthy eating habits more easily.
Prep Your Work Lunches for the Whole Week

Going out to lunch at work every day gets expensive, but making lunch every night can be time-consuming. Instead, prepare them ahead of time. Yes, this would take a considerable amount of time but you’d only be doing it once a week.
On Sunday, make a dish that’s large enough to last the whole week. Divide it up into five servings, then store in small containers and freeze them. If you like to snack on veggies then chop them up, put them into five snack-sized bags, and keep them in the fridge.
There are countless dishes that you can make ahead of time, freeze, then reheat for lunch. Soups, stews, roasts, fish, and so on.
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Work Out with a Friend

Working out with a buddy or significant other is a great motivator for multiple reasons. You share the same goals of getting into (or staying in) shape. You enjoy the same workout routine. You don’t get bored because you’re spending time with someone whose company you enjoy. And finally, you are each other’s “hype man”, encouraging each other along the way. When you’re working out with someone, it stops being a chore and becomes a fun, social outing.
Make sure though, that you don’t turn your workout routine into a competition between the two of you. It doesn’t matter who loses more weight, who runs faster, or can lift more. You are there to support one another, not tear each other down.
Change Up Your Workouts

If you find lately that you’re more reluctant to exercise, then perhaps you’re just getting bored with your routine. You may love running, swimming, or doing yoga but after a while it may start to feel a bit stale or monotonous. Consider changing your workout routine to revive your motivation.
It may be as easy as changing the route of your run, or switching your cardio days with weight days. Use a different workout machine. Go running for a month then switch to swimming or tennis. If you love classes at the gym, consider trying a different one for a change.
Make Time for Yourself

Focusing only on work and/or the family will burn you out. You need time for yourself. Carve out a slice of time in your busy schedule to take care of you. This can mean relaxing in front of the TV and vegging out, going to the gym, or working on a hobby. Consider doing some self-care like taking a bubble bath or getting a professional massage.
If you’re a parent, you may find this to be particularly challenging because you’re used to devoting your time to your children. Don’t feel guilty about “Me Time”, because you’re no use to your kids if you’re burned out. Take care of yourself so you can take care of your children better.
Hire a Cleaning Service

If you have the monetary means, then consider hiring a cleaning service. Cleaning is very time-consuming. Instead of scrubbing toilets and vacuuming, you could be spending more time with your family, working out, or simply taking a nap. When you have a cleaning service, it can bring peace of mind knowing there is one less thing to worry about. Keep in mind that you don’t have to have them come every week. Every two weeks is a perfectly fine timeline.
The best way to find a cleaning service is through word of mouth. If you belong to a community or neighborhood online group ask for recommendations, or simply ask your neighbors.
Exercise Before or After Work

If you aren’t fortunate enough to work from home, then these are your only alternative times for working out. This practice requires a significant amount of motivation and dedication. If you choose to exercise before work, you’ll need to get up extra early. However, if you decide to do it after work, you may be too tired at the end of the day.
You’d need to change some habits to be more motivated. For example, go to bed early so that you won’t feel as tired getting up to exercise. Find a workout buddy so you can motivate each other.
Set Work/Life Boundaries

With countless communication apps available, it’s very easy for employers to continue contacting employees long after work hours. This can be very stressful, as one can’t feel fully relaxed if they expect their boss to text or email them at all hours of the day.
Setting work/life boundaries is important for your mental and physical health. Unless you’re a doctor, firefighter, or paramedic, your work isn’t a life or death situation. Whatever it is can wait until morning. Avoid checking work emails when you’re done for the day. Turn off your phone or put it on mute. Spend your free time with your family and friends, or enjoy the peace and quiet alone.
Note that this will not work with all situations and not all employers will be understanding, but if they seem to be the flexible type, then consider bringing it up with them.
Ask for Help at Work and Home

Let’s face it: you can’t do everything alone. You need help–at work or at home, or both. You may feel reluctant asking for help because you may not want to inconvenience anyone or because you don’t want to appear that you can’t handle it.
There’s no shame in asking for help. This is especially important regarding your home life. Talk to your loved ones and discuss how they can help out. Your spouse may handle making dinner on certain nights, or your parents can help babysit once in a while. If your children are old enough, they can certainly pitch in with chores.
Similarly, in the workplace don’t be afraid to ask for help. Perhaps you need a fresh pair of eyes to check that draft you wrote, or maybe you need someone to help you carry that heavy machine to the next room.
Don’t Take on Extra Work

Work can have a competitive atmosphere, and you can be compelled to go the extra mile to stand out. This can mean staying a couple of extra hours later, taking on additional projects, or doing the work of others.
Although you may feel that doing extra work will lead to a raise or promotion, in many cases this does not happen. What happens instead is that your coworkers and/or employers may come to expect this from you. Before you know it, you’ve taken on far more than you can handle but you fear that backing down will put you in a negative light.
Never put work ahead of your personal life or health. It’s not worth it. Spend time with your loved ones and take care of yourself first.
Exercise at Home

If you’re having trouble finding time to make it to the gym, consider working out at home. You don’t have to drive or deal with other people, and it’s (mostly) free! If you have the space for it, buy a treadmill or some other workout machine, or maybe invest in some weights. But if you prefer fitness classes, there are many online versions such as Pilates, Zumba, yoga, and so on. Some require a subscription while others may be free.
You may want to consider spending time outdoors if you feel cooped up at home. Just step outside and start running, or go for a bike ride. If you’re lucky enough to own a pool, jump in and swim some laps if the weather is nice.
Use Your Sick Days and Time Off

There was a time in which employers considered it to be admirable when an employee hardly ever used their time off, or when they came into work even while sick. Although a few employers may believe in this nonsense, the truth is that the company will not fall apart if you take time to recover from illness or if you go on vacation.
If you’re sick, stay home and recover. You’re a bigger detriment to your job if you come in sick. You’re unfocused, may be more sluggish, and may make mistakes. And of course, you’d likely make everyone near you sick as well. If you have vacation coming up, then take that leave. You’ve earned it. Stop checking your work email, ignore all work-related texts and calls, and have a great time!
Look into Flexible Work Options

If at all possible, consider looking for flexible work options. For example, if you want to beat the commute then maybe you can come in an hour later and leave an hour later. There may be an option to work longer hours four days a week and get an extra day off. Or better yet, you may have an opportunity to work from home at least once a week.
Be very careful how you approach this by doing some research. Check your company’s policy on flexible schedules or maybe ask coworkers about their experiences. Make sure you can convince your employers that you can still work efficiently and get work done on time with these changes.