Work-Life Balance
Our physical and mental wellbeing may be greatly affected by whether or not we strike a healthy work-life balance.
A good work-life balance occurs when we successfully combine work with other responsibilities.
This is not always an easy task. Various pieces of research have shown that people find it hard to relax in their personal time because of their jobs.
A proper balance looks different to everyone and it’s important, therefore, to discover what works for each of us. In order to help, we’ve set out a series of productivity hacks to help maintain harmony between work and life.
Schedule your time, on and off
Make the most of your free time by planning your week. If you have plans, stick to them. You can concentrate on what needs to be done while working towards a ‘hard stop’. If things are particularly busy, scheduling 15 minutes per day to take a break, go for a walk, de-clutter your desk or deal with small personal tasks prevents you from feeling overwhelmed.
Close it down, shut it off
Technology is everywhere and it allows us to be connected to the whole world all day, every day. On the one hand, that’s really useful. On the other hand, it can create unsociable working hours. Once you clock off, that’s your time. Put your work things away and switch off.
Speak up and prosper
Bosses ask you to complete tasks, that’s part and parcel of a job. Often, this isn’t a problem but if work is starting to mount up, your wellbeing could suffer. Are there new processes that could be used to save time? Is a teammate better suited to particular tasks? Tell your boss that you’re spread thin and be willing to find solutions. Give yourself the space to work on all parts of your life.
Prioritise the big stuff
We’re all busy and all sorts of things demand our attention. Less urgent tasks can become complicated and drawn out, causing confusion and stress, and impacting our ability to switch off at the end of the day. Identify and separate urgent matters from the stuff that can wait – we don’t need to get everything sorted straight away.
Stick, don’t twist
It’s easy to make plans and hard to keep them. Even if you’ve discussed your work-life limits with your manager before, don’t be afraid to remind them from time to time. If you’re still getting weekend assignments, politely point out other commitments and protect your personal space.
Seek support
You can call our Advocacy for All team, which is ready to connect you with the right support. Get in touch today.
Freephone: 0808 189 0036
Webchat: www.inspirewellbeing.org
Email: hello@inspirewellbeing.org
Available: Monday – Friday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm