Here's how you can balance work-life while meeting deadlines through effective communication.

We are not machines; we have no toggle switch to move us between work mode and life modes. While we can set boundaries w.r.t. time and set expectations w.r.t. availability, our own minds don't always stick to those boundaries. Just like personal thoughts occupy us while at work, work issues will also creep into our personal lives. When we realize and accept this, there will be less dissonance between expectations and reality, hence lower stress.

Clearly outline your work hours and stick to them. Let your colleagues and clients know when you are available and when you are not. Use tools like email autoresponders or status updates on messaging apps to inform others of your availability. Determine which tasks are urgent and important. Focus on these tasks first to ensure you meet critical deadlines. Share your priority list with your team or manager to ensure everyone is on the same page and understands what needs to be done first.

Balance work-life while meeting deadlines by effectively communicating priorities. For example, Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global, advocates for setting boundaries and delegating tasks to maintain work-life balance. By communicating expectations clearly and prioritizing tasks, she ensures productivity while prioritizing personal well-being, inspiring others to do the same.

Establishing the order in which to complete things is essential to preventing negative stress and burnout. In addition, if your role is a manager, I advise you to discuss the subject with your team through a meeting or any channel you refer to. Allowing your teammates to share their points of view before deciding what tasks will be prioritized and how to accomplish them will ensure two-way communication and transparency. During progress, you can use this channel of communication to collect feedback from the teams and provide timely help. A manager will have a balanced and productive team when all members of the team are able to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Balancing work and life while meeting deadlines requires clear communication with your team and managers. Set realistic expectations, prioritize tasks, and communicate any challenges early. Regular check-ins help everyone stay on track and avoid last-minute rushes. Don't hesitate to ask for support or adjustments if needed; it's better than burning out.

No one ever plans to fail, unless they fail to plan. And I consider myself a QUEEN of planning!! I spend most days with my head in a spreadsheet or calendar, reprioritising tasks and re-jigging timelines. My first piece of advice is to not be afraid of change. Plans and projects change all the time, as does your priority list. Being open to pivoting and changing focus is essential when prioritising tasks. Secondly, ensure you are setting out time to discuss the progress of projects and workload with your team to understand the needs of the team and what should be tended to first. Businesses are ever changing so ensure you have a good grasp on how the rest of the business is doing and what your team needs from you.

Effective Planning: Plan your day and week ahead. Use calendar apps to schedule work and personal time, ensuring there’s a balance.

Define Your Goals-- Clearly outline what you need to achieve. Break down large projects into smaller, manageable tasks with specific goals.

Being assertive is crucial for balancing work-life while meeting deadlines. It involves confidently expressing your needs, setting boundaries

Work smarter not harder is a real thing. When you have big projects and tight timelines, you have to find ways to be as efficient as possible. Use technology, outsource, delegate, etc. to maximize your time. Even if it takes some time to redefine a process initially, think about the long term benefit and time savings of coming up with faster, more efficient way of doing something.

Utilize AI-driven communication tools that can help manage emails, schedule meetings, and automate routine tasks. This reduces the time spent on administrative tasks.

Reflection is something I have previously found as quite an uncomfortable task. However, this is one of the most constructive tasks you can complete, and can change a negative experience into something positive. Recently I found I was spending a lot of time creating visuals and presentations for my Exec because I know she works best with visual stimulation. I would spend hours researching a project, creating a presentation, and emailing to my Exec for her to review. Once I was asked 'could this not have gone in an email?' I realised the way I was working was not effective, and so I changed the way I work. By reflecting on the comment made and the time taken on this task, I managed to pivot my working style and saved huge amounts of time!

From my experience, balancing work and personal life is crucial, and cultivating good habits plays a significant role in achieving this balance. Consistently arriving on time at the office enables timely task completion, facilitating a timely departure and a return to personal life. Likewise, taking breaks and vacations is essential, and applying a similar approach ensures a well-rounded work-life balance.