What do you do if your work-life balance is suffering?

If you run your own business, sometimes it can be difficult to establish a schedule because you know that your involvement is crucial to achieving your goals. However, it is important to set some boundaries. Augmented Reality (AR) is a good tool to create experiences, even for yourself in your daily activities.

Picture this: your to-do list is a tightrope you're constantly teetering on. Work emails rain down like storm clouds, and hobbies gather dust in the corner. It's time for a rescue mission! Time Block! Treat your day like a train schedule. Block out work hours, then carve out personal zones for hobbies, family, or that neglected nap. Fence the Field. Set boundaries. Let colleagues know you disconnect after hours. Renegotiate the Rent. Feeling overwhelmed? Talk to your boss. Can tasks be delegated or deadlines adjusted? Power Down. That evening email can wait. Close your laptop, step outside, and breathe. The world (and your inbox) will be there in the morning. A healthy work-life balance boosts happiness and productivity.

Assessing your work-life balance is crucial. Consider if you're working extra hours or often bring work home. Using AR to visualize daily routines can reveal how much work encroaches on personal time, helping you identify necessary changes for a better balance.

Start by looking at how much time you're spending on work versus personal activities. Augmented Reality (AR) tools can help you visualize your daily schedule, making it easier to see where you might be overworking. Once you identify problem areas, you can take steps to rebalance your time and prioritize self-care.

Establish clear boundaries by saying to yourself - first and foremost- “no!”. Then say it to everyone else. AR will help? How? Be serious!

Take control of your workload with Augmented Reality (AR)! Visualize your tasks in a 3D space and prioritize like never before. Move less critical tasks to the side and focus on what really matters. Say goodbye to feeling overwhelmed and ensure you're dedicating time to high-priority work during your work hours. This means more time for personal activities and a better work-life balance!

I'm a big fan of time-boxing. Set priorities and assign them to time windows. Break up larger tasks across multiple days. This is especially useful for avoiding procrastination. I often make the the task for the day as easy as possible, such as "Any progress on X" or even "Open the document"! A little progress on a big task each day adds up quickly.

Learning to prioritize tasks effectively is crucial. Using AR to visualize tasks in 3D helps you physically set aside less critical tasks and focus on urgent ones. This reduces overwhelm and ensures high-priority tasks are handled during work hours, freeing up personal time.

AR is about as “effective” in this area as any other tool. In other words, it isn’t. If you’re THAT reliant on tools to help you prioritise task then you’re not emotionally or mentally capable of much in the first place.

Elements of reflection like CBT mindfulness, could be built in to the list of your daily tasks being prioritised. AR can be useful for many things but an artificial environment is not going to give your body a balance or the chance to recover, e.g..a nice walk, smelling flowers or feeding the ducks(not bread!). AR is absolutely not the solution for prioritising daily tasks; much like AI is not going to end the world because James Cameron made a franchise.

Embracing flexibility in work schedules is essential today. Negotiate for flexible hours or remote work days. Augmented Reality enhances remote collaboration, creating virtual workspaces that simulate an office environment, saving commute time and allowing for a more adaptable schedule.

Communicate. Share your vision with the team and the path you are taking to make it real for the organisation. Realign your self or the team so that the effort is collaborative and try not to jump into each others lanes. This will ensure more output for the team for every minute spent at the workplace and give time to balance other parts of your life.

Seek support when work-life balance is challenging. Discuss workload and flexible scheduling with your manager. Utilize AR for stress-relief exercises and to join virtual support groups, sharing experiences and solutions. This fosters a sense of community and offers practical advice.

Your work-life balance can only feel like suffering because 1) You actually stopped loving what you do (you just didn't realise it, or you are gaslighting yourself even when you do). 2) In addition to the above, you have responsibilities either to yourself or your family. This same responsibilities prevents you from taking a sacred pause to re-evaluate point number 1. 3) You continue to hammer yourself away while not paying attention to point 1 & 2. Everything else, ie: time management, boundaries, using tools to manage your tasks are band aides to a gaping wound. Because if you truly love what you do, it won't feel suffering. And you will have healthy boundaries regardless. So if you feel suffering, the answer is Re-Evaluation.