Here are 10 simple tips to find the right balance:
Sleep is not just a luxury; it is a biological need. Your body relies on sleep to rejuvenate, repair, and regulate essential functions. Good sleep helps your brains work better, boosts your mood, keeps your immune system strong, and lowers your chances of getting sick. On the other hand, balancing work and personal life is also vital for staying healthy. It helps you feel less stressed, avoid getting too tired, and keeps your relationships outside of work strong.
1 - Maintain consistency: Multiple studies have shown that irregular sleep patterns can disrupt circadian rhythms, leading to sleep disturbances and increased risk of health issues such as obesity and heart disease. Therefore consistently going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, including weekends, helps regulate your body's internal clock. This stability promotes better sleep quality and well-being.
2 - Create a good environment for sleep: Transform your bedroom into a peaceful haven by minimising noise, light, and electronic distractions to create an better sleep environment. Research indicates that reducing environmental stimuli before bedtime can enhance sleep onset and duration, thus contributing to improved sleep quality and mental well-being.
3 - Avoid screen-time before bed: Decrease exposure to blue light emitted by electronic devices by powering them down at least an hour before bedtime. Blue light suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles, making it harder to fall asleep. Studies have linked excessive screen time before bed to delayed sleep onset and poorer sleep quality.
Sabrina met her husband when they were both younger, and they tied the knot with a low-cost wedding once they'd both secured corporate jobs.
From there, they figured out how to optimize their financial future, taking it day by day.
'I had never thought about our future financial goals. Nobody's ever really talked about in my house, aside from affording certain things,' she said.
She explained that while growing up, her family was 'always trying to save, and my parents would go to four grocery stores on the weekends to save $3 on bread and eggs.'
As an adult, it wasn't too hard of a leap to fall into financially savvy habits with her husband.
When the pair were ready to buy a property of their own, they went with a modest one-bed, one-bath condo for $137,000.
By the late aughts, when they were ready to upgrade and they resisted glossy condominiums in downtown Chicago, instead going with a house in the suburbs for half the cost.
'My husband and I have always worked together as a team, and we've treated finances in our marriage like a business. We've always had transparency, goals, and shared effort,' Sabina explained to BI.
'We treat income as household income, not mine or yours. I personally don't understand how marriages can survive with no transparency and a "my" mentality.'
While climbing the corporate ladder, they continued managing rental properties, even successfully navigating the 2008 burst of the housing bubble.
In the aftermath of the housing crash - as their rental properties plunged $60,000 - Sabina conceded the pair may have gone overboard on budgeting, even selling one of their cars, while also scaling back simple pleasures like nights out with friends.
When housing prices were low, they briefly bought up more rental properties - but Sabina's husband hated the chore of managing them, and they eventually sold their holdings and put the money in retirement.
In total, their combined net worth is now pushing $2 million.
It's spread between about $1.16 million in retirement accounts, $460,000 in an after-tax brokerage account, $250,000 in home equity, $30,000 in an HSA, $25,000 in a 529, and $25,000 in savings.
When she left her job in 2021 to spend time with her daughter, she'd been making $120,000.
One day while facing eight hours of meetings, she realized she'd much prefer to spend time with her baby.
Her husband was making enough to support them all if she took time off - and he encouraged her to do so.
Sabina found herself finally able to enjoy some of the fruits of all their hard work, even recently taking a transatlantic cruise with her daughter and mom.
'We're at a point now where we're able to do things like that, and I think it was because, in our 20s, we made some big sacrifices,' she said.