We live in an age where switching off from your professional life and relaxing into your personal life is harder than ever. It can feel like our emails and deadlines are following us around in our pockets or on our laps, echoing through the devices we use in our personal lives. It’s natural to worry about professional commitments outside of work hours — particularly if you’re someone who really cares about their career and professional development, but even when it doesn’t feel like a priority, striking a healthy work-life balance is incredibly important to your health and wellbeing, as well as crucial to your work and personal lives. Here we have compiled some of the best tips to help you achieve a work-life balance, as well as some reminders as to why it’s so important.
Tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance:
- Set boundaries
Setting boundaries will look different for everyone. It might mean having a conversation with your boss about limiting your overtime hours, setting a cut-off time for your late-night study sessions or learning to stand your ground if too much is being asked of you. Setting boundaries can help reduce stress, maintain a manageable workload and let you focus on the important things, both professionally and personally.
- Consider remote work or study
Remote work and study offer an array of benefits when it comes to a work-life balance; saving time on your daily commute, extra time in the home to reduce the pressure of domestic work and reducing costs such as fuel, public transport fares and coffee and lunches are just some examples of the ways in which working from home can reduce stress. If you’re in a job that doesn’t currently offer remote work, consider discussing it with others at your workplace. If you’re a student or looking to further your education, you might like to consider remote study options such as an online MBA course.
- Prioritise self-care
Sometimes you have to prioritise work or study, particularly in busy periods such as when your team is low on staff or you have multiple deadlines. Still, it is equally as important to prioritise self-care when you can. Self-care will look different for everyone, it might be getting a facial, spending time with your loved ones or allowing yourself the odd sleep-in. Whether you’ve got five minutes to fit in a sheet mask before bed, or a whole day to spend with your family, ensure you take the time to do things that fill your cup, so that you have something to give when it’s time to get to work.
- Manage your time well
It can be a hard habit to form, but once you master time management, striking a balance between your professional and personal life will become significantly easier. Consider making lists to efficiently work through overwhelming workloads, setting yourself deadlines and sticking to them, planning ahead whenever you can and prioritising your most timely tasks to ensure they don’t become overwhelming.
Why is work-life balance so important?
- Avoid burnout
Burnout can occur following extreme or long periods of stress and often leaves a person feeling exhausted, and drained of energy and motivation. Burnout has both mental and physical symptoms, causing feelings of isolation and disengagement, as well as poor sleep and headaches. While prioritising work or study over every other part of your life can feel like the right thing to do, it’s only sustainable for a limited time. Without achieving a balance between your various commitments, you will burn out and your body will tell you when enough is enough.
- Professional performance
The reality is that an overworked or overtired employee is not going to produce their best work. A tired employee is not productive, and it won’t take long for coworkers to take note of that. Similarly, a burnt-out employee is not a reliable one, as the symptoms of burnout may cause one to call in sick to work or miss deadlines. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance will ultimately better prepare you to be the best, most reliable and hardworking employee you can be.
- Personal life and relationships
Similarly to professional performance, if you are too tired to effectively contribute to your professional life, you are likely too tired to effectively take time for yourself and your loved ones. More time to spend doing things you love will leave you feeling more energised when you do have to knuckle down and work. Additionally, an emphasis on a healthy work-life balance will ensure you have the time and energy to give to your loved ones, maintaining fulfilling relationships for both your own and their benefit.
In our always-on world, finding the right balance between work and everything else can feel like an uphill battle. This article sheds light on the crucial nature of striking a work-life balance—not just for your health and happiness, but also for your job performance and personal relationships. By embracing strategies such as drawing clear boundaries, exploring the option of working from home, making time for self-care, and mastering the art of time management, you can protect yourself from the pitfalls of burnout, boost your productivity, and ensure you have the energy for the people and activities you love.
