Maintaining a work-life balance is a struggle for many. You may feel like you have too much to do at work or there are simply not enough hours in a day to get everything done at home. Juggling your job, family, friendships, and self-care may seem impossible. Is it really possible to find a good balance? Definitely, and we have some tips to help you out. But first, let’s take a look at some of the reasons having a work-life balance is so important.
The Value of Work-Life Balance
Why is it important to obtain a work-life balance? It all boils down to the fact that the amount of time you spend at work compared to other activities can affect you both personally and professionally. Here are just a few of those benefits:
Improve Your Health
Did you know that long working hours have been linked to a number of physical and mental health concerns? This results from things like reduced physical activity and increased stress. Spending more time away from the office means you’ll have more time to focus on yourself, both physically and mentally.
Healthier Relationships
Interpersonal relationships are sacrificed at the altar of excessive working hours. When you spend more time at work than at home, it can cause tension between you and your spouse. Your friends may become distant when you are too busy working to be able to spend any time with them. Sure, you want to cater to your family’s financial needs, but their emotional needs are also important. Spending less time chasing deadlines leaves more opportunities to direct your energy toward building and maintaining those important relationships.
Higher Self-Esteem
Your job doesn’t necessarily have a direct impact on your self-esteem, but as we’ve already mentioned, it does impact other areas of your life. Whether or not you are satisfied with your work-life balance and the way it is impacting your life will contribute to the way you think about yourself and others. The more satisfied you are, the more likely you are to have a positive view of the world and yourself.
Increased Productivity
Believe it or not, taking time away from work to focus on other aspects of your life can lead to improved productivity at work. Take Microsoft Japan for example. They saw a 40% increase in their employee’s productivity after switching to a 4-day workweek. This is attributed to the employees feeling more satisfaction from their personal lives, which in turn helped them feel more content with their jobs.
4 Tips To Achieve Work-Life Balance
There’s no doubt that having a balance between your work life and personal life is beneficial. But for many of us, achieving this balance seems out of reach. But what if we told you it’s not? To help you out, we’ve compiled 4 of our favorite tips to help you achieve and maintain a work-life balance that works for you.
1. Set Boundaries
First and foremost, get comfortable with saying "no". It’s a soft skill that is necessary to learn in order to restore balance to your life.
Rank the activities in your to-do list, prioritizing the most vital and putting the least important at the bottom. This will make it easier for you to say "no" when a new activity is thrown onto your plate, especially when it isn’t a priority. After all, it’s easy to become overworked when you always say “yes” to new projects, especially ones that are of low importance. Setting firm boundaries can help you avoid feeling guilty for saying “no” since you already know your limits and priorities.
2. Protect Your "Me Time"
Taking care of yourself shouldn’t be an afterthought, so make plans that include time for yourself. Whether it’s settling down with that novel you’ve been putting off, hitting yoga class, grabbing coffee with a friend, or even going on vacation–be intentional about it, and use those boundaries you have set to make sure you aren’t letting work-related activities get in the way of this.
3. Embrace Change
Don't allow yourself to be caged in by your career or current circumstances. Sure, reporting to work daily is a societal norm. However, if you’re unhappy with your current job, it will drain you. Frustrations at work can be caused by a variety of factors, and they are all valid and often out of your control. In cases like this, the best road to work-life balance may be to embark on a search for a new opportunity that will bring you joy and fulfillment.
4. Unplug
Last, but certainly not least, take time to step away from it all. This can include something as simple as putting your phone away on your commute to work so you can spend that time reading or meditating instead. Other simple ways to unplug from work include not checking your email at home, turning your phone off an hour before bed each night, or using your lunch break to take a walk outside and get away from your desk. Basically, the goal is to shift your mind away from the work environment so it can unwind and be energized when you return to the office.
Find Your Balance
Finding a balance that allows you to take care of yourself and your loved ones while also finding fulfillment in your work will give you more satisfaction in life. It’s a necessary part of taking care of your mental and physical health, which is why it is a core part of what we call the #NewEarthLife. Join our New Earth family and explore more ways to promote your overall health.