It might seem a bit counter-intuitive, but people are actually more productive when they work less.

Typically, the average person who is working full-time – and this includes digital nomads, entrepreneurs, freelancers and remote workers as well as your average office employee – spends between 7 and 10 hours a day working. The higher numbers tend to refer more to the entrepreneurial types, as they don’t punch a clock and will often continue to work until they can’t anymore.

So, what happens to your social time, your family life, or your hobbies? If you’re like many Americans, these things just might fall by the wayside in favor of getting more accomplished. Whether that decision is fueled by deadlines, finances, or simply a drive to finish what you’ve started, the result is the same: overworked, burnt-out, and ultimately headed for the ditch at some point.

Too much work comes at a cost, too: besides the emotional withdrawal from your loved ones and causing harm to your relationships, there are health implications too. Depression, heart disease, stomach problems, high blood pressure, hair loss, poor sleep – all of these things can happen, even to the most resilient among us.

You might be thinking: that’s impossible for me. How am I possibly going to get time off or make time for myself when I have so much on my plate? The answer is simpler than you think.

Here’s a few tips to help make it happen:

Make YOU part of your schedule

If you are always juggling a full calendar, think about scheduling yourself into the mix. Make a commitment not to work on weekends, or pick a day (preferably two in a row), and stick to it. It’s all about setting boundaries. All you need to do is make that decision and stand by it. This will give you freedom to attend your kids’ baseball games or school picnics, or afford you some free time that you can spend with your friends doing something you love. Even if you stay at home all day watching Netflix, you’re allocating time for yourself, and that’s the important thing. Remember – if you’re not doing well, physically, mentally and emotionally, you’ll be little use to anybody else.

Turn off your technology

One of the biggest obstacles to unfettered personal time is probably your smartphone. Pick a day of the week, maybe Sunday, and resolve to not look at any emails or texts, or take phone calls for any work-related purpose. Unplugging, even for a short time, releases a great deal of anxiety. If you can’t manage to do it for an entire day right off the bat, try it for a couple of hours each evening, and work up from there. You’ll be surprised at how much more attuned you are to things that happen in the moment, and hopefully you’ll realize that there is more to life than – well, you know. Work.

Get active

Make a daily habit of getting outside and connecting with your physical self. You can go for a walk or a run in the morning, or take your dog for a long walk in the evening, go to the gym for an hour a day, or join a community sporting club (but remember to leave the phone at home)!

Getting your blood pumping helps to lubricate your brain, and when you get back to work, you will feel energized and ready to take on whatever may come.

Don’t give in to distraction

When you’re working, focus on work. Don’t get caught up in office chit chat, dilly-dally, or allow something non-work related to take your attention away from what you’re doing. The sooner you get your work done, the sooner you can leave and get back to that life you’ve been hoping to have. Turn off your social media notifications during work hours. Delete non-work-related emails. If you can, remove all but your own chair from your office so that nobody can park their butt there and keep you from getting things done.

Lakeside Executive Suites: flexible office space in Weston, Florida

If you see yourself in any of these scenarios, you’re not alone. Most of the American workforce struggles with work-life balance. But as successful and as driven as you are, you don’t have to burn the candle at both ends to come out on top. If you live or work in the Weston area, drop by Lakeside Executive Suites for a tour. Our flexible and fully-equipped office spaces are dedicated to powering entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and startups to make the most of their working hours. Call today to find out more.