Breaking 5 Bad Habits Interfering with Your Work-Life Synchronization

You have the best of intentions: Doing. It. All.

So why do you feel unsuccessful? You might have developed some bad habits along the way that weren’t so prevalent when starting your career. The more complex your job becomes, the more you need to adapt to the changes before your personal time no longer remains just that.

It’s not so much about work-life “balance” but “synchronization.” How do you integrate and align your professional and personal life where they complement and support each other, rather than being in competition? How do you build out time for both without feeling you have to sacrifice one for the other? Building intentional good habits will combat the unintentional bad habits developed along the way.

Here are five bad habits that interfere with your work-life sync and one tip to help you avoid the pitfall:

Bad Habit #1: Overcommitting.

How many times have you said “yes” before understanding the implications of it? Most of my coaching clients state they say yes because they want to be helpful. However, taking on too many commitments without properly vetting them can lead to the exact opposite of what you want to accomplish: you sacrifice your own needs for the sake of others. You work more to accomplish their work AND yours.

Solution: Know when to say “yes.”

Establish clear criteria for other work assignments you are willing to say “yes” to because it benefits your needs. For example, agree to an additional project because it will build goodwill with a colleague you want to have a strong working relationship with, increase your visibility in the organization where decisions makers take notice or provide you an opportunity to gain experience in an area you didn’t have access to previously. If saying yes crosses fails to meet your criteria, politely decline.

Bad Habit #2: Keeping it all.

Do you subscribe to the “if you want something done right” philosophy? If you are an individual contributor to your organization, maybe this works for you. When you move into management or more challenging roles, it becomes impossible to do it all by yourself.

Solution: Delegate.

When prioritizing your task list, ask yourself: “Does this take my unique talents/expertise to complete?” If yes, keep the task. If not, think about how you can delegate this to others. Challenge yourself on the reason why you want to keep it (e.g., you can do it better or faster). Someone else may be better suited or it can even be a growth opportunity you wouldn’t want to deny them.

Bad Habit #3: Neglecting your health.

Do you put everything else before your own well-being? Failing to focus on the health trifecta (sleep, nutrition, exercise) can also bring on mental fatigue. And your mental health knows no boundaries as work stress bleeds into your personal life.

Solution: Prioritize your well-being.

As ambitious as you are, treat your health like you would your career. Make goals and set clear actions to achieve them. Most importantly, find solutions to roadblocks that get in the way. Tying why your health is important to your career can help justify putting the effort in to prioritizing your well-being (and check out my other newsletter article for how exercise enhances leadership skills if you need more proof!).

Bad Habit #4: Failing to disconnect.

Does it feel like you can never truly disconnect from work? Living through a lockdown from a global pandemic demonstrated the ability to be able to work from anywhere. However, constant connectivity causes technology overload and also prevents you from disconnecting and recharging.

Solution: Clarify boundaries and communicate them.

You may feel helpless to “the system” as others violate what you feel are work norms or etiquette by communicating during off-hours. Find solutions that work for you (and maybe everyone) and talk about it. If you manage teams, you can set these expectations. If you collaborate with peers, talk about what can work best for all of you. If you struggle with your boss, talk at your next one-on-one about ways to better work together so you both find a healthy balance for work and personal time.

Bad Habit #5: Lacking support systems.

Are you starting to wonder how you will overcome the four problems listed above? Not seeking support from those that form your professional and social circles can lead to feeling isolated with an impossible amount of work to get done. This only continues the vicious cycle of exacerbating these bad habits even further.

Solution: Set up your own support circle.

Think of your networks (e.g., colleagues, mentors, family, friends) and the ways they can help you keep your commitments for breaking these bad habits. Asking for help is not a weakness but a necessity the more complex your professional life becomes. And who knows, others may come up with better solutions or ways they can support you that you might not have thought of.

Bottom line:

Achieving work-life sync requires intentionality and a willingness to replace habits that no longer serve you. By setting clear criteria for commitments, learning to delegate, prioritizing well-being, setting boundaries, and establishing a support system, you can create a more balanced and fulfilling professional and personal life. Take control of your time and energy and put it where its strategically best suited in order to thrive both at work and in life.