13 Tips for Maintaining Work-Life Balance With Multiple Clients

To help you manage work-life balance while handling multiple clients, we asked CEOs and business strategists this question for their best advice. From staying organized with task management to maintaining clear communication and boundaries, here are the top thirteen tips these professionals shared from their experiences.

• Stay Organized With Task Management
• Utilize Communication Tools Wisely
• Delegate Tasks to Free Up Time
• Prioritize Using the Eisenhower Matrix
• Find the Sweet Spot With Clients
• Balance Work and Home Strategically
• Incorporate Exercise and Balance Blocks
• Schedule Self-Care Activities
• Set Clear Expectations Up Front
• Establish Structured Work and Personal Time
• Be Present and Flexible
• Adjust Boundaries for Each Client
• Maintain Clear Communication and Boundaries

Stay Organized With Task Management

Managing multiple clients is tough, but it is important to stay organized. I typically assign regular tasks through Asana so I can keep track of everything. I space out time on my calendar to work on specific tasks, and then I further prioritize by deadlines or the workload requirement. I address my schedule daily and weekly and make changes as needed. I would also like to add that it’s important to set boundaries. I try to take on what I can handle and delegate what I cannot.

Kim Butler, SEO Strategist, Online Optimism

Utilize Communication Tools Wisely

I run an owner-operated boutique PR firm, and as a publicist, being available to multiple clients is critical in a business where success depends on responding to the news cycle and social media trends. I typically manage five projects at once. Loss of work-life balance happens all the time, and I regain balance by remembering that if I save myself time, I save the client time, and the client needs work-life balance as much as I do. 

Each and every “new work” tool needs to be considered to manage timely communication, yet still allow the client and me to choose when to act on it. My favorite business tool for when I need to explain a situation is to do a recording instead of going back and forth asking for a video call. Most clients love it, and a popular tool is Loom. 

Then, it's important to consider the unspoken rules of new work—everything goes into the Microsoft Teams or Slack messaging channel unless it requires documentation—only then do you send an email. Everyone is responsible for turning off their messaging channel notifications after work hours and on weekends. 

We have one fixed weekly video meeting, which can become bi-weekly if replaced by a Loom. Fixed meetings should be limited in time, and each party should collect the things they need to talk about from the week and use the messaging platforms only for things that need an immediate response.

Melanie Marten, PR Consultant, The Coup

Delegate Tasks to Free Up Time

Balancing work and life while managing multiple clients is a continuous learning process. One strategy that has helped me significantly is embracing the power of delegation. As a leader, it’s essential to trust your team and delegate tasks effectively. This not only ensures that work gets done efficiently but also frees up time for you to focus on high-level strategic decisions and personal activities. Additionally, leveraging technology for task management and communication helps streamline operations and reduce the time spent on routine tasks.

A valuable tip I can share is to schedule regular breaks and vacations. It might seem counterintuitive when you’re busy, but taking time off is vital for long-term productivity and avoiding burnout. Plan your breaks well in advance and communicate them to your clients and team. This allows you to recharge and return to work with renewed focus and creativity. Ultimately, achieving work-life balance is about being intentional with your time and making sure you allocate it in ways that enhance both your professional and personal life.

Jon Morgan, CEO, Venture Smarter

Prioritize Using the Eisenhower Matrix

Managing work-life balance is challenging due to multiple client demands and timelines. To address this, I prioritize tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix, categorizing them by urgency and impact. This helps me focus on what truly matters and reduces stress, ultimately preventing burnout while fostering better client relationships.

Mohammed Kamal, Business Development Manager, Olavivo

Find the Sweet Spot With Clients

The more helpful you are, the more your clients will rely on you. On one hand, this is great news because a client who relies on you is likely to spend more with you. On the other hand, a client that sees reliance as you always being there is a risk because that client might believe that you'll drop anything to do what they need at any time. The challenge is finding the sweet spot between over-delivering for your clients and always being available. 

Be careful not to always be available to them because if you are, they'll rightfully say, “Well, you did it for Tom last weekend,” and they're right. Two things need to happen. Upfront, the client needs to know your lead times, and also when you occasionally help them outside of hours, or you “drop everything,” let them know that this is an exception.

Darren Smith, CEO, MBM

Balance Work and Home Strategically

As a mom of three young tots and founder of a Miami PR firm, I realized at that moment the simultaneous juggle of home and profession was no easy feat, and the constant calibration of both to reach a so-called equilibrium was an impossible task. It simply doesn’t exist. 

That said, here are some of the strategies I enact to bring stability (and sanity) to my life:

• You don’t need to be Wonder Woman to everyone at the same time. Something must give; showing your superpowers in a new business pitch, for example, means you’ve filled that bucket for the day, and it’s okay to remove the guilt of bringing the same energy to every task. Women are often framed as needing to do everything, which is a false notion that sets us up for failure.
  
  
• Surround yourself with people smarter than you, so they can help sail your ship forward. You may still be navigating the waters (some with higher seas), but your crew is just as important to reach the final destination.
  
  
• Avoid overcommitting by learning to say “yes” and “no” with equal comfort. We are all guilty of piling on more tasks than necessary or even feasible. It is important to look at your weekly calendar and ponder which obligations are most pressing and necessary. While booking your calendar can feel productive, we also need to find comfort in white space that allows us to reset.
  
  
• Don’t overthink about accomplishing everything. Often, we get distracted by the sheer overwhelmingness of trying to balance our lives. Instead, think of the “mini-wins”—what did we achieve in the last hour or today?

Suzanne Perez-Bernal, Principal, Co-Founder, ANDER & Co

Incorporate Exercise and Balance Blocks

In my experience, having served as CEO for a digital marketing agency for the better part of a decade, and now serving as an Executive Career Coach for 10-20 clients at a time, I find three things that work the best to balance work-life. 

1. Make time for exercise. I walk every morning from 6-7 a.m., and it sets the tone for my day. 
2. Set aside “balance blocks” in your day. These are frequent 15-minute breaks or one longer (1-2 hour) break that allows you to rebalance your day. Get away from firefighting, client demands, email, etc., and focus on what needs to get done today to step away. 
3. Decide on your work schedule and stick to it. For me, a 4-day workweek is best, so I stick to that. Although that often means I take Fridays off, I do switch it up if I have a midweek day I need to take off, be it a holiday or for another reason.

Adriana Cowdin, Executive Career Coach & CEO, Be Bold Coaching, LLC

Schedule Self-Care Activities

I advise anyone working with multiple clients to prioritize a schedule incorporating self-care activities that reduce stress and promote work-life balance. I've learned that work-life balance is not just about managing time but also about personal growth. By scheduling time for yoga, meditation, and interval training, I've had a boost in my energy and focus. Moreover, setting aside time for travel and new experiences has expanded my perspectives and kept me excited about life.

Shane Hurley, CEO, RedFynn Technologies

Set Clear Expectations Up Front

As a consultant and coach, I am often balancing multiple clients and their needs on any given day. In the beginning, this was quite stressful, and I found myself on the brink of burnout. After educating myself on time-management strategies and boundaries, I learned how important it is to set clear expectations upfront. 

Now, when I start working with a client, I let them know my bandwidth for taking on their project and clearly define the times I will be available. This keeps us both on the same page when it comes to communication. Another tool that has helped me manage my time effectively is time blocking. Each day is set up with a clear start and clear stop time, with blocks of time devoted to each client or task. Additionally, I use color coding as a helpful tool to define different activities, like calls, deep work, or in-person meetings. 

These strategies have helped me feel more in control of my time and given me the freedom to spend my evenings with my family instead of in my inbox!

Kayla McGuire, Business Consultant and Project Management Coach, Kayla McGuire Consulting, LLC

Establish Structured Work and Personal Time

Maintaining a work-life balance, especially when juggling multiple clients, can be challenging but crucial. One effective tip is to set clear boundaries between work and personal time. Establishing a structured schedule where you designate specific hours for work and strictly adhere to them helps in creating a clear separation. 

For example, you could define "office hours" and avoid checking work emails or taking calls outside of these times. This approach not only helps in maintaining focus during work hours but also ensures you have dedicated time to recharge and attend to personal matters. Regular breaks and time away from screens also contribute to better productivity and overall well-being.

H. S. Herjeet, Career Coach, PCC, The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)

Be Present and Flexible

After a while, the natural flow of things happens, and it all falls into place. Thankfully, the pacing of our recruiting allows for the time for one search to be at a different stage of the process compared to another assignment. That spacing helps reduce the stress of completing the job effectively and efficiently. I also make sure to be as communicative as possible while keeping confidentiality in mind. 

Some advice about this juggling act is to be as present as possible in both your professional and personal lives, but also be flexible to have time to give to your loved ones and your clients, respectively, if there is a need for it.

Benjamin Farber, President, Bristol Associates, Inc.

Adjust Boundaries for Each Client

Don't be afraid to change your boundaries from client to client. After a while, you start to intuit which clients will need more boundaries, time on your schedule, hand-holding, extra support, etc. Boundaries help THEM, too. When you can show up with all your energy and creativity because of the boundaries you've set, your clients get the best version of you.

Delaney Rietveld, Website Copywriter, Dark Roast Copy Co.

Maintain Clear Communication and Boundaries

One word: boundaries. When working on multiple projects, it's easy to be swept up in all the disparate personalities, demands, and deadlines, but it is vital to maintain clear communication with your clients about expectations regarding workload, hours, and reasonable deliverables. Be honest with both them and yourself—taking on too much will result in burnout and decreased quality of services.

Nicole Staudinger, VP, Marketing and Internal Communications, Joyance Partners

We hope that these tips and strategies from this range of experts have inspired the way you approach work-life balance!