Work life balance is a common term used today which refers to a balance between your work life and your personal life. The level of balance is determined by each individual as we are all different and have different needs. Some may enjoy working a couple of extra hours at the job they love while others need more personal time for their hobbies or family.
Whichever you are it is important to identify what your needs are and to allocate your time wisely so you don’t suffer from being overworked, having too much time on your hands or experience a burnout. It is called a balance for a reason and can have negative and positive effects from both your work life and your personal one.
Are you working more than you are living?
Work is important for various reasons, it gives you a sense of purpose, pays the bills and stops you from sitting at home and turning into a couch potato. However, too much work can have a severe impact on your health and well being as an individual whether you are an entrepreneur or an employee. Some signs that you may be working too much include:
.feeling resentful towards your co-workers
.increased stress levels
.feeling frustrated
.tiredness and irritability
.avoidance of tasks or work altogether
When you are feeling overwhelmed by your work or experiencing a burnout it is important to take a step back. Spending more time in your personal life and doing the things you love can help centre yourself and take your mind off the things that are troubling you.
Note: If you spend all of your time doing housework in your downtime this is NOT life balance, it is work! Make sure that you take care of your mind and your body first, especially if you are feeling overwhelmed. Just remember, it will all still be there tomorrow when you are ready to tackle it!
How to achieve a healthy work life balance
Some people may be able to work for half the week and spend the rest of the week doing hobbies or spending time with family. While this can be ideal most people today work 9 to 5 Monday to Friday and even add on extra hours which leaves very little time for a personal life. Therefore, finding ways to create work life balance is important for a majority of people. Some ways you can do this include:
Managing your time
One of the BIGGEST excuses that people come up with is “I don’t have time”. This is complete rubbish! People make time for the things they think matter most. If a project seems more important, they make time to work on it. If they want to go to the theme parks on the weekend, they make time for it.
The matter isn’t that you don’t have time it’s that you refuse to make time for the things you need. This is where time management is so important in maintaining a healthy work life balance because it allows you to plan out your week, month, etc. so you can spend time outside of work looking after yourself and doing the things you love to do.
Creating boundaries
Learn to say NO! No you won’t be doing extra hours tonight, no you won’t take that client phone call after 5pm and no you won’t cut down your lunch breaks to continue working. Setting boundaries is extremely important for work life harmony because you can keep giving to the business but what is it serving you in the long run if you burn out?
Yes, working hard and doing your best is important but it doesn’t mean you should put your health at risk. If you set boundaries early on it is more likely that they will be respected so that you can enjoy the benefits of both your working and personal life.
Relaxing
Rest and relaxation are needed for the body and the mind. The body can’t keep working if it is too tired and the mind can’t keep functioning if it is frazzled with too much going on. Taking time to relax and enjoy a good movie, a nice bath, an enjoyable hobby or even taking the dog for a walk is important to help you unwind and take a breath.
There are many forms of relaxation depending on the person. It doesn’t always have to relate to massages and bubble baths with a wine in hand. Find out what makes you relax and incorporate it into your routine.
Socialising
We are social creatures by nature and therefore socialising is great for work life balance. It can come in the form of heading to a party with your friends, taking a picnic with your family or just chatting with someone you know over the phone.
Socialising allows you to talk to others about what might be bothering you or what might be making you excited. It also helps improve your mood and mental health while also reducing the risk of dementia. So make sure you schedule some time to catch up and have a good chat!
Being flexible
Life happens all the time and work is not the be all and end all. Being flexible with your routine will allow you to mix it up sometimes if something happens, you don’t feel like performing certain tasks or you want to head home early on a certain day. That’s fine! You could even take the day off.
Sometimes arranging that extra time for your personal life can work wonders for your morale which will help you with your productivity later on. Flexibility also reduces stress and the feeling of being overwhelmed which allows you to have better balance between both your working and family life.
Why all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
You have probably heard this saying before but there is some truth behind this old proverb. It means that when a person is constantly working with no work life balance the person becomes bored with their life and in turn a boring person as well. A similar saying to this would be eat, sleep, repeat over and over again.
“Eat, sleep, and repeat.”
“Eat, sleep, and repeat.”
“Eat, sleep, and repeat.”
It’s almost enough to make you go insane isn’t it? Well, that’s just what it feels like when you have to wake up every day to the same morning routine getting ready for work, doing the same thing day in and day out while having little to no time for yourself except to sleep.
This downwards spiral is very dangerous as it can lead to individuals being overwhelmed and increases the chances of depression. When Jack becomes a “dull boy” this is pretty much rock bottom. Hence, if you are in this situation you need to make some changes with your working life to ensure that there is time for YOU because you are the most important thing in your life and it is beneficial to take care of yourself!
