Work-life balance: The best expert tips for less stress

Eight hours of work can be damn long when there's pure chaos and you're just stressed out.

Tipp:In the morning or the evening before, create a to-do list with all the tasks that need to be completed. Sort them by importance and check off what’s done. This structure means you won't forget anything and it's easier for you to think clearly. Also try to be distracted by emails, cell phones, etc. as little as possible.

The list of tasks is extremely long and something new is constantly being added. This is simply not possible!

Tipp:Set priorities. If you are unsure, ask your supervisor for a clear statement. He or she can best tell you which tasks are most important and should be done today, if possible, and which can wait. This takes pressure and stress away.

In the video: Can I go to the doctor during working hours?

Even lists and priorities sometimes can't prevent the work from becoming overwhelming. Only one thing helps here: redistribute!

Tipp:Asking colleagues for help or asking your boss to distribute the work to others is not a crime. If you feel like it's too much, don't hesitate and divide the work. This is the only way you can concentrate on what's important and avoid mistakes.

Regardless of whether the day is calm or rather stressful, breaks should always be taken. This includes the longer lunch break, but also short breaks in between.

Tipp:To clear your head, you should get some fresh air and exercise during your lunch break. The spatial distance from the desk works wonders.

You may be sitting on the sofa at home, but you're still thinking about work all the time. Do you know that? It shouldn't be like that. Even if it's sometimes difficult: As soon as the office door closes behind you, you should banish all thoughts about work to the farthest corner of your brain.

Tipp:Control your thoughts and think specifically about something beautiful. Thoughts that make you feel good are the best way to unwind after work. If thoughts about work still come to the fore, write them down briefly and then direct your thoughts to something else.

Everything has just been tidied up and cleaned, then everything is dirty again and you still have to worry about the food. Housework is a never-ending vicious circle that we could devote ourselves to every day. But we shouldn't because it affects the quality of our free time.

Tipp:A precise plan helps here. Sit down at the beginning of the week and think about what needs to be done. You distribute the tasks over the entire week. Try to bundle as much as possible. If you write a shopping list and plan meals, you don't have to go to the supermarket every day, but can only go twice a week and get everything. You can do the same thing in one evening for two days, so that every other evening there is no cooking.

In addition to work, there are always a bunch of personal duties that need to be taken care of. Doctor's appointments, emails, signing or terminating contracts, writing tax returns - that's not fun for anyone, but these obligations don't disappear into thin air if you put them off.

Tipp:These things should also be planned. Decide for yourself whether you want to take an evening off to do everything at once or whether you prefer to do a small part step by step and have the rest of the evening free.

After a long day at work, many people are often too tired to meet up with friends. Understandable, but it is precisely the casual get-together that contributes to the quality of life and puts you in a good mood. So you should attend such evenings regularly.

Tipp:Plan short meetings when you have limited time. A coffee, wine or cocktail after work doesn't have to be upsetting, nor does a quick dinner. Nobody is angry if it ends at nine or ten o'clock and everyone heads home.

Taking a long bath, reading a book, or visiting the beautician: these are all things that we would like to do for ourselves, but for which we somehow never have time.

Tipp:Such breaks from everyday life are extremely important for your well-being. Make an appointment and plan the time if you can't otherwise.

Finally the weekend – two days off! That's great, but it's no reason to fill these two days to capacity with appointments, appointments and obligations. Make sure you keep appointments and appointments during the week so that the end of the week helps you relax.

Tipp:Don't plan every minute of the weekend. A bit of lounging on the sofa, sleeping in and doing nothing should definitely be included.

As good and correct as the tips for a better work-life balance are: if your work is very inflexible and you constantly feel stressed, it is worth considering other careers.

Jobs where you can organize your working hours flexibly and which also involve lateral entry can offer new perspectives. Lateral entry means that you do not need any relevant training or special studies to get started in your new career.

An opportunity to reorient yourself professionally and achieve a better work-life balance,DVAG, for example, offers this with its financial coach program.