9 handy resources to improve your work-life balance and manage stress

This week is National Work Life Week 2024, an annual event that promotes work-life balance and well-being in the workplace. Since this issue affects all creatives, we were keen to participate.

To that end, elsewhere on Creative Boom, you'll find top tips to help creatives achieve work-life balance and ten brilliant books that can help in that mission. To round things off, below, we've compiled a list of nine essential resources designed to help you manage stress and improve your work-life balance.

Because let's face it: even if things are going okay for you at the moment, this is an industry in which it's easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of tight deadlines, demanding clients, and the constant pressure to innovate and stay relevant.

Yes, we love our work. However, the unique challenges it presents can also lead to high levels of stress and, if left unchecked, burnout. So, the importance of finding an equilibrium between the demands of our career and our personal well-being cannot be overstated.

After all, we know deep down that it's only when we're well-rested, mentally refreshed, and emotionally balanced that we can produce our best work. These resources offer practical solutions to help ensure your passion remains a source of joy and fulfilment rather than one of stress and exhaustion.

1. Mindfulness and meditation apps

Headspace

Headspace offers guided meditations designed to reduce stress and increase mindfulness. This makes it a good option for creatives looking to clear their minds and regain focus during busy workdays. The app even provides specific meditation series for creativity and productivity, helping you tap into your flow more easily.

With its user-friendly interface and variety of session lengths, Headspace makes it easy to incorporate mindfulness into even the busiest schedules.

Calm

This app offers not only guided meditation but also sleep stories and calming music, making it ideal for unwinding after a long day or before a big deadline. Calm's 'Daily Calm' feature provides a new 10-minute meditation each day, perfect for establishing a consistent mindfulness practice.

The app also includes breathing exercises and stretching routines, offering a holistic approach to stress management for creatives.

2. Time management tools

Toggl Track

Toggl Track is a simple yet powerful time-tracking tool that helps you understand where your hours go each day, making it particularly useful for freelancers juggling multiple clients and projects.

The tool offers detailed reports and insights, allowing you to identify time-wasting activities and optimise your workflow. And it integrates with numerous project management tools, making it easy to incorporate into your existing work processes.

RescueTime

RescueTime runs in the background of your computer or phone, tracking the time you spend on various apps and websites. This can provide valuable insights into your most productive periods and uncover where you might be wasting time.

The app's 'FocusTime' feature allows you to block distracting websites during designated work periods, helping you maintain concentration. RescueTime also provides weekly email reports, giving you a bird's-eye view of your productivity trends over time.

3. Digital detox tools

Forest

Forest encourages you to stay off your phone by planting virtual trees during focused work sessions. If you leave the app before the timer ends, your tree dies. A bit like an arboreal Tamagochi, then, it's perfect for keeping you focused.

As a bonus, Forest partners with real-tree-planting organisations, allowing you to contribute to global reforestation efforts through your focused work sessions.

Freedom

Freedom blocks distracting websites and apps across all your devices, allowing you to focus on work or rest. That makes it ideal for when you need to take a break from social media and emails.

Furthermore, the app offers customisable blocklists and schedules, enabling you to tailor your digital detox to your specific needs. Freedom also syncs across devices, so you don't get distracted by any of them.

4. Physical health tools for stress management

Daily Yoga

Daily Yoga is an app that offers guided yoga routines that can be done at home or in the office. These routines help reduce tension and improve focus, making them perfect for creatives dealing with stress.

You'll find a wide range of classes for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced, and specific routines for stress relief and boosting creativity. The app also offers meditation sessions and a supportive community forum, providing a holistic approach to wellness for creative professionals.

7 Minute Workout

If you're pressed for time but still want to move, this app offers quick, effective workouts you can do between projects to keep your body active and your stress levels down.

The app uses high-intensity circuit training to maximise results in minimal time. It also provides video demonstrations of each exercise and allows you to customise workouts based on your fitness level and available equipment.

5. Therapy and counselling resources

BetterHelp

BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that matches you with a licensed therapist. It offers various communication methods, including messaging, live chat, phone and video sessions, allowing you to choose the most comfortable format for your needs.

BetterHelp also provides worksheets and journals to complement your therapy sessions, offering a comprehensive approach to mental health care.

Talkspace

Talkspace is another way to find online therapy with licensed professionals. It uses a detailed questionnaire to match you with the most suitable therapist for your needs and allows you to message or video chat with them during your sessions.

The platform offers specific therapy programmes for issues like stress management and work-life balance, making it particularly relevant for creative professionals facing industry-specific challenges.

6. Financial stress management

YNAB (You Need A Budget)

YNAB is a budgeting tool that helps freelancers and creatives get control of their finances, plan for 'feast or famine' income, and save for the future. It uses a unique four-rule system that helps you prioritise your spending and savings.

YNAB also offers educational resources and live workshops, empowering you to improve your financial literacy and reduce money-related stress.

Cushion

Cushion helps freelancers manage and predict irregular cash flow by tracking outstanding invoices and providing insight into their financial situation. The app provides visual forecasts of income and expenses, helping them plan for lean periods and avoid financial stress.

The app also includes features for tracking projects, managing clients and sending invoices, making it a comprehensive financial management tool for creative freelancers.

7. Journaling for stress relief

Day One

Day One is a digital journaling app that makes writing down thoughts, emotions and daily reflections easy. It's a great tool for clearing your mind at the end of the day.

The app supports multiple media types, allowing you to include photos, audio recordings, and even location data in your entries. Day One also offers end-to-end encryption, ensuring your personal reflections remain private and secure.

Morning Pages

Based on the technique outlined in Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way, Morning Pages encourages you to write three pages of stream-of-consciousness journaling each morning. This can help you process emotions and reduce mental clutter.

The app provides a distraction-free writing environment and tracks your daily writing streak, encouraging consistent practice. Morning Pages also offers optional prompts to help overcome writer's block and inspire deeper self-reflection.

8. Creative community support

Dribbble

Dribbble is a long-established platform for designers to showcase their work, get feedback, and engage with a supportive community of creatives. It offers various features like 'Playoffs' where designers can riff on each other's work, fostering collaboration and inspiration.

The platform also includes job boards and project opportunities, making it a valuable resource for networking and career development.

Behance

Adobe's platform for creatives allows you to find inspiration, share your work, and collaborate with others in the industry. Behance offers curated galleries and creative challenges, providing constant sources of inspiration and motivation.

The platform's integration with other Adobe products also makes it easy to showcase your work directly from your creative tools, streamlining your workflow. However, you can still use it even if you don't subscribe to the Creative Cloud.

9. Mindful breaks and rest

Stretchly

Stretchly reminds you to take regular breaks from your screen and move around, which helps reduce eye strain and mental fatigue. This highly customisable app allows you to set the frequency and duration of breaks to suit your work style.

It also provides gentle exercises and stretches to do during your breaks, promoting physical well-being alongside mental refreshment.

Soothe

Soothe offers on-demand massage therapy, ideal for de-stressing after a long workday. The app allows you to book a licensed, vetted massage therapist to come to your home or office, providing a convenient way to incorporate regular relaxation into your routine.

Soothe offers various massage types, from Swedish to deep tissue, catering to different needs and preferences.