According to studies longer working hours, have been known to impair personal health, jeopardise safety and increase stress. Can we really blame people for wanting to change their lifestyles? But what does the term work-life balance really mean to you and how does it affect those around us from an adverse and positive perspective?
Throughout society today, we hear the terminology work-life balance on a regular basis across every industry sector. Employees resign from their current employment for a better work-life balance, some scale back their weekly working hours and others find themselves transitioning their occupation to commence a new industry for the purpose of spending more time with family and loved ones.
Back to the 50’s…
The main source of income for most families across the globe, being employment hasn’t changed. However, opportunities and business in the 1950’s were comparatively different from what we see today. Diversity in the workforce was lacking significantly and men in the workplace were primarily known as the main source of income for their family. Generally speaking, the majority of workers started between 9am and clocked off at 5pm, to head home and relax in front of the newest piece of technology, the TV. Most people rarely worked outside of their clock on/ clock off time, work was not taken home, there were no laptops, phones or tablets to continue working on. Retail shops were closed by midday on Saturday for the weekend trade. Life to most was blissful.
Technology at its best…
These days, technology has changed the working world around us. We see a holistic range of automation, digital platforms and innovations that are fundamentally changing the way we think and do business. This gives us a lot more employment opportunities based on the operations of systems and technology, which the world never turns off really.
Having the technology to work from home, in our car or on holidays, has its benefits to get the job done; but has it created our lives to be saturated with the involvement of working at any given time of the day, taking away our personal time with others? It sounds completely absurd, but the standard working day for full-time employment is 8 hours. Realistically, there are more of us who are inclined to finish our 9 to 10-hour day, only to come home and spend a couple of hours with family and then re-organise our back of house administration requirements and reporting duties for the next 2 to 3 hours; sometimes more. Is this what we call a work-life balance?
So, what does it mean to be seeking a better work-life balance?
Most people that are seeking a better work-life balance are looking to regain control over their personal time and have a better quality of life, by spending time in the presence of those they love. Having too much personal quality time, can leave a hole in your pocket and result in your time becoming more concerning for everyday finances. However, on the flip side, companies that have employees performing these long hours every day, can run the risk of having them burn out and want to leave for a better work-life balance.
How do we achieve a healthy work-life balance?
Take time to recharge:
Dedicate some time every day, to turn off your phones, tablets and favourite devices and take some time to relax and re-charge. You could use your annual holidays to refresh yourself, lounge by a pool with a book that you have been wanting to read for years, take up that hobby that has been lying dormant or reigniting that creative spark by dedicating some time to your interests. You can consider it a time to rediscover, so that when you return to work, you can give the company you work for, your all…
Take time to exercise and eat healthy:
Exercise equates to not only a healthy body but a healthy mind. Just half an hour a day will help you to relieve stress and anxiety. Sitting sedentary at a desk all day can cause a range of health problems, so If you sit at a desk all day, getting up every hour to move around and stretch out, or even chatting to your boss about switching your desk to a standing workstation, will make a big difference to your physical and mental health.
Having a fitness tracker is also a great way of monitoring your movements and steps for the day. You will also feel a sense of achievement and positivity when you reach your goals. Exercise can create a huge sense of well-being, leading you to be more productive within the work place.
Prioritise your time:
Identify your most important tasks for the day. Ask for help where help can be given. If you are in a position to delegate, then hand some of your less important tasks to someone who can complete them; you could also hire a personal assistant or junior administration assistant to take over some of the basic work load. This will help you to free up your time. If a task can wait for another day then hang it up and head home at a decent hour so that you can spend some time away from the office.
Work smarter not harder:
Utilise technology inside the workplace to work for you, rather than working and being a slave to technology. Use online productivity tracking and collaboration tools to keep track on the progress of your goals, organise notifications to remind you of upcoming events or find an application (there are a few) that can increase in your everyday productivity; making you more efficient in the hours of your working day.
It truly comes down to what you value…
What a person genuinely seeks out of life is usually subject to their own personal preference, which no one can take away or discard. Having a work-life balance depends on what the persons’ perspective is of this and to them; what really matters. However, to limit burnouts, anxiety and to continue in a healthy head space, we need to take time for ourselves. Your performance may eventually struggle in your current role if all you are doing is working and not taking time for yourself. So, commit yourself to working and having a quality of life, but be sure to have a good integration and balance between the two.
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