Although juggling your personal and professional responsibilities might be difficult, doing so is essential to enhance not only your emotional, mental and physical health but also your career.
Work-life balance is the equilibrium reached when a person prioritizes their personal and professional obligations equally. Common causes of a bad work-life balance include the following:
- Expanded tasks at work
- Putting in more hours
- Added commitments at home
- Being a parent
Discussed in this article are the tips for striking a better work-life balance.
Why Is Work-Life Balance Important?
Increases productivity
When an employee’s work-life balance is stable, they will be considerably happy at work, which is where the significance of work-life balance comes into play. As a result, productivity increases. Even if staying up late and working extra hours may appear like they will increase productivity, the work will almost certainly be of lower quality.
Holistically keeps you well-rounded
There’s a reason why hobbies are listed on CVs, and interviewers frequently inquire about an applicant’s interests outside of the office. A more cohesive team will result from the ability of employees to engage socially and exchange stories, expertise, and experiences.
Improves physical health
Employees are significantly more prone to suffer from physical illnesses if they are overworked. This is especially true if they are not getting enough breaks during the day. Being sedentary greatly increases the risk of developing heart disease and high blood pressure.
Maintaining a work-life balance benefits mental health
Employees who have a good work-life balance are more likely to feel content when they report to work. In turn, this lessens occupational stress and burnout risks, two prevalent health problems.
When workers are constantly stressed, chronic stress results. It can result in physical health problems including persistent aches and pains, heart problems, and hypertension as well as mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
When an employee experiences excessive stress over an extended length of time, burnout results. Burnout can lead to a range of symptoms, including irritation and mood fluctuations as well as exhaustion and decreased productivity. It may cause staff members to seek medical attention or take sick days, both of which can be expensive for a business.
What Is A Good Work-Life Balance?
For each of us, a healthy work-life balance will entail something different. It’s more important to make sure you feel pleased and fulfilled in both aspects of your life rather than dividing your time equally between work and pleasure. An example of a balanced diet might be:
- Keeping up with job deadlines while finding time for friends and hobbies
- Having enough time to eat healthily and sleep well while being free from work-related worries at home
This may, for instance, pose a challenge to achieve if there are additional caring obligations, health issues, or a demanding boss.
Work-Life Balance Strategies That May Help?
1. Know your values; think about the important aspects in your life and prioritize them.
2. Practise time management; If possible, cancel non-essential meetings, avoid social media, and reduce commute.
3. Set boundaries; learn how to say no, i.e, go internet free for a few hours, limit access to work email, or partake in your hobbies.
4. Enjoy your work.
5. Consider your finances.
6. Nurture positive relationships; helps to cope with stress.
7. Focus on your health.
The Importance Of Self Care
It is extremely crucial for you to look for yourself while supporting and assisting someone who might be experiencing a crisis. Self-care does not mean you put your loved ones before your needs but that you are being aware of what you want. You are better able to address the needs of others when you take care of yourself and are not stressed out.
Self-care can take many different forms. Self-care doesn’t have to be complicated; it may be as easy as breathing deeply when you start to feel stressed out.
Tips For Striking A Better Work-Life Balance
- Create a Schedule That Works For You: Your schedule needs to allow enough time for work and personal time with friends and family.
- Set Boundaries With Family And Friends: Learning to say no takes time, but when you’re feeling overworked or just need time for yourself, explain to them why it is you want some time to yourself.
- Take Time Off: Taking time off is as important as working hard to reach your career goals. It gives you time to unwind and relax so you can perform better at work.
- Don’t Work During Off Hours: Do not push yourself to work after office hours. Fatigue will increase and you will become overwhelmed with the workload.
- Avoid Work FOMO: Being disconnected from your true motivators is a major factor in why you suffer FOMO. You must reconnect yourself with what truly inspires you.
Work-life balance is not only about segregating time in the day to even out personal life and work but it’s more so having the option to finish things at work while also having the energy and time to appreciate your personal life. Some days may demand extra hours from you at work but that means you have more time in the week to enjoy other things.
