The work-life balance is a constant struggle. You want to work hard and achieve your goals – but you always want to rest and look after yourself. When the balance is off, you can end up burnt out and ill from working too hard. It takes time and practice to find the right balance between your career and personal life.

Rest days are important. You need rest days between gym sessions to let your muscles recover. You need rest days from work to let your brain recuperate and recharge. However, it can be tricky to find the time to rest between picking up the kids from school, striving for a promotion, and maintaining a social life.

Here are a few ways you can incorporate more rest into your routine.

Change your routine

Most people complain that they do not have enough time to take a rest day. You need to take a hard look at your routine and start prioritising activities. You could get up earlier and squeeze in an hour of you-time before the kids wake up. You could work out, eat a healthy breakfast, and indulge in the quiet time.

Or, if you have a long commute, start using that time to listen to an audiobook or your favourite podcast. Put your work away and use your commute to do something you enjoy. You can squeeze in time for your hobbies, even when you’re on a train to the office.

Start questioning yourself

It’s easy to get stuck in the same routine. Start asking yourself whether your routine is the best it could be. An hour of scrolling on Instagram every day could be replaced by something much more beneficial. You could spend two minutes meditating at night or half an hour watching a TV show you love. Endless scrolling can increase anxiety, stress, and restlessness. Ask yourself if what you are doing right now is beneficial. Instead of staying up late online shopping, you could be getting more sleep.

Travel

Your rest days don’t have to be spent at home. Book a few days off and go travelling to get yourself out of the stressful headspace. Book a first-class train ticket to a new city, explore the local attractions and get out of your own head. Or you could go abroad to a sunny destination and fully switch off.

Change up your day-to-day routine to improve your mental health.