Get a Life: How to be Productive Outside of the Office

Working hard is important, especially given the current state of our economy. However, all work and no play not only make for a very dull life; it may also make you a very unproductive employee.

For years, experts have agreed that working longer hours greatly impacts returns, noting that even a 10-percent increase in work hours results in both a decrease in productivity and an increase in exhaustion-related accidents and illnesses. Because of this, it's important to utilize your personal time productively in order to reap the mental, physical and emotional health benefits it offers. To help you achieve this, here are four tips to keep in mind.

Stop at 5 and Feel Alive

Whether or not you have children, it's important to stop during the early evening and take three to four hours for you, your family and friends. This might mean going home, having dinner, and playing with your children until they go to bed or just meeting up with friends and socializing over a great meal. Afterward, if an important work task needs to be completed, not only will you feel refreshed enough to tackle it, you also won't feel guilty about ignoring your personal life.

Step Out into the World

One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to get away from work and treat yourself to something special - even if that means walking in the park, going to a movie or spending time at the gym. Whatever makes you happy, commit to setting aside time - just one or two hours - to relax. No excuses. Ask your significant other or the grandparents to babysit, or select something that the entire family can do together.

Organize Your Time Commitments

Yes, we all have commitments and obligations that require us to be somewhere or do something at the expense of other choices. However, by organizing your time properly, you can find ways to enjoy yourself, too. This means planning your nights and weekends to incorporate chore and play time so that they blend together. For instance, consider having everyone tackle their chores Saturday morning so that the afternoon can be left free for leisure time. Or, turn chore time into fun time by making it a competition - i.e., who can make their bed and pick up their toys first - and allow the winner to select the afternoon event.

Establish Goals and Priorities

By establishing daily goals, you'll know your commitments and be able to adjust your work and personal schedule accordingly. Plus, if you prioritize them, you will know which goals have to be met versus those that can be postponed or usurped by something unexpected.

Consider this scenario: Your daughter needs to go to piano lessons and your son needs to be picked up from soccer practice. You had also planned to pick up the dry cleaning and supplies at the store. Can you drop off your daughter and swing by the dry cleaner's and store before picking up your son? Or, do you watch some of your son's practice to offer support, and then run errands with him before picking up your daughter?

Using your personal time productively, while ensuring it's filled with fun and relaxation, will go a long way in helping you become a more satisfied employee and individual.