We have all heard the statement, “too much of anything is good for nothing” and that applies to work also. No matter how much we love our jobs, we would be damaging our health and relationships if we put so much time and energy into work, that we have nothing left for anything else. Having a balance of work and life might sound difficult, but it is not impossible at all. It is a very essential part of our daily life. Some of us in an effort to achieve professional success or recognition or because we are passionate about what we do, end up damaging our relationship, health, and overall happiness. Our desire to be professionally successful can cause us to put our well-being on the back burner.
Nowadays, fear of losing our job in this competitive environment is making people work longer hours. Many of us work as much as 50-60 hours a week. This can be stressful and harmful to our physical and mental health. Having a balance between our personal life and professional life is very important for us to be successful professionally. So, creating a harmonious work-life might be critical, yet necessary.
Why is it important to have a balance?
Work-life balance is a state of equilibrium where career and personal life get equally prioritized. Where career and personal life are equally important for a person the reasons that make work-life balance poor is increased responsibility at work, a demanding boss, working longer hours, increased responsibility at home, and having children. For this reason, a person can be always trying to make the most of both of their worlds and end up losing the perfect balance between life and work.
If we can manage to have a good balance between work and life we will have numerous positive effects that include less stress and greater well-being. Balancing work life doesn’t mean distributing your 24 hours equally between your personal and professional life. Instead, it is to have beautiful flexibility between both aspects of your life.
If you are working extra hours or doing overtime temporarily to meet a goal, that’s okay, but it is not sustainable over a long period of time.
Employers can help too by creating a work environment that supports work-life balance by encouraging employees to take lunch breaks, vacation and leave at a reasonable time. If the employer is offering an option to work from home or is providing flexible work schedules, that is good.
How to have a better work-life balance
Here are some tips for you to have a better work-life balance:
TIP 1: You don’t have to be a perfectionist
There is nothing like a perfect work-life balance. Remember, balance is not something that you will achieve every single day. Somedays you might focus more on your work, and the other days, you might want to leave work early to attend a family event. Balance can be achieved over time. Today your boss will get a lot of you but you will leave work on time to ensure you engage in adequate self-care and personal activities. You should look for excellence, not for perfectionism.
TIP 2: Unplugging is necessary
You need to relax and unplug for a while to come back to work with more energy. If you are constantly working and every time you are out at dinner, you are looking for your work emails, you are eventually leading to potential burnout. So, the next time you are relaxing, instead of doing the last mail check, read a novel or listen to some music. Next time you go to hang out with your friends and family, don’t keep texting for work. Spend your quality time as how it should be – relaxing and fun and enjoyable.
TIP 3: Make your goals and priorities clear
You need to set your goals and priority, and you should be clear about them and ensure that you stick to them no matter what. You should have an idea when you are most productive at work and keep that time for your most important work-related activities. Checking your phone for social media posts every minute will always keep distracted. Organizing is the key - structure your day and analyze your to-do list and eliminate the tasks that are not a priority. If you are structuring your day, you will be more productive at work and can have more time to relax outside of work.
TIP 4: Maintain your work Hours and set boundaries
You should set some boundaries for yourself and your colleagues. It will help you not to avoid burnout. When you step out of your office, try not to think about upcoming projects or presentations. Keep your personal and professional life separate because it is really important. Some persons go as far as having a separate phone for work.
Set boundaries for how long you will work. Let your team and manager know your boundaries because you have other things to do. They will respect your work schedule and it will be easy for you to work. If you don’t set a boundary for work, you might end up picking up late-night calls even when you are on vacation and you don’t want that.
CONCLUSION
Having a flexible work-life makes the whole point of a balanced work-life a lot easier. If employers are helpful and cooperative, it will be beneficial for the employee and the company. If the employee is having enough space and balance between the two lives, he or she will be more productive. The goal is to relax after work and then the next day come back to work with more energy. So, it is very important to find the space between your professional and personal life. Give them both your best shot by having boundaries, setting your priorities, unplugging when necessary and not being a perfectionist.