7 Proven Methods to Find Work-Life Balance
It is often challenging to find a work-life balance with the demands of modern living. But it may not be as hard as you think with some small changes that help you adapt to your job and family. From being more social at work to understanding the process, here are some ideas.
Manage Your Time Effectively
Time management is a valuable competency that can help you with almost anything. Employers place great value on people who can manage their workload without any negative impact. And it isn’t a challenge to get right. For instance, apps and digital solutions such as NDIS software, collaboration apps and project management suites can help you get the most from time. However, even using a calendar app or a daily task sheet helps you plan for the time ahead.
Find Work-Life Balance with Colleagues
Being sociable at work has many benefits, not least making friends and colleagues you can trust and get along with. For many workplaces, team efforts are valuable, and not being included in that can make work much more challenging. A recent survey found that over 60% of workers across the US don’t leave their desks for lunch. This is unhealthy for one. But it also means you miss out on a valuable opportunity to form workplace bonds with colleagues and the team.
Find Easy Ways to Improve Health
Being at work or at home can force you to neglect basic health and not do what you need to improve it. Of course, you work hard, and it’s only natural that you are tired and need space for relaxation. However, some small changes to your day can make a massive difference. Just 10 minutes of meditation can focus your mind. A brisk walk around your local area can get the blood flowing and reap the benefits of the sun, such as vitamin D production from UV rays.
Embrace Help at the Office
More and more, employers are working harder to provide a healthy workplace for their staff. Use the opportunities available to you at work to bring up any issues and improve upon them:
- Speak up about any issues at work affecting your wellness or health.
- Take advantage of stress relief at work, such as counselling and support.
- Use remote work opportunities when you feel office pressure.
- Assess your workload and adjust it accordingly to avoid burnout.
- Ask about any support available to you as a busy parent, such as childcare.
Your employer needs to know about your health if it will impact your work negatively. Most would rather you use their facilities and work when healthy rather than burn out and become ill.
Try to Leave Work Issues at Work
One of the biggest mistakes many of us are guilty of is bringing our work home with us. Of course, this can be a challenge for some professions, especially emotional ones such as nursing or working with vulnerable people. But it can also mean physical work. Your time at home is your time, so treat it as such. It’s all too easy to be tempted to check your emails when you really should be spending time with your family. So, learn how to switch off and unplug.
Accept that Work-Life Balance is a Challenge
It isn’t always the case that your day will be perfect. A perfect work day is probably getting all your tasks out of the way and then coming home on time to enjoy family activities. But for many of us, this isn’t always the case, which could be a cause of the anxiety that 76% of workers feel about their jobs. It can make a difference to accept that some days will be great and others will take more of your time, and this goes both for work and your family or home responsibilities.
Spend Some Time Doing What You Love
It can’t all be work and no play. We all need some hobbies and time to ourselves. And when you overwork yourself or commit too much to handling family matters, there is precious little time for doing so. Of course, there are responsibilities you must tend to. But you don’t have to do it all. You can delegate tasks at work and manage time effectively. And at home, your partner or relatives can help with the kids.
Summary
Effective use of time helps find work-life balance at home and at the office. The office will also offer help, such as counselling and remote work. And it always helps to schedule alone time.