We’re all overworked and tired, and many of us struggle with the idea of carving out personal time.
“Work-life balance” is a phrase that we hear often, but it isn’t something that we’re all experiencing. Employees struggle with scheduling, work hours, and finding support. Many businesses encourage and promote balance, asking that workers gain control of personal stressors, and juggle priorities, poor management, technological demands, and physical or psychological challenges. Established balance means defined career ambitions, and a well-managed personal schedule, which includes hobbies, family, and leisure. It also indicates an ability to increase one’s level of engagement and productivity at work, and opportunities to fully participate in your on social and family life.
It’s in a company’s best interest to treat their employees to a greater sense of workplace wellness. A line drawn between work and home translates to conflict-reduction, company productivity, and it bodes well for a company’s reputation. Such businesses have higher employee retention rates, which means continuous in-house expertise and fewer time-consuming training sessions. These better-balanced individuals opt to take fewer sick days, and they don’t compromise efficiency or productivity.
Also, while men struggle as much as women to maintain a work-life balance, reports show that women still bear a more substantial load than men in balancing work and family, according to Pew Research Center. Despite progress seen in recent decades, approximately 68 percent of Millennial mothers find it difficult to get ahead at work, compared to just 19 percent of Millennial fathers.
Enabling healthy habits, such as healthful meals, regular exercise, and sleep can fuel success within an organization and foster a greater sense of wellbeing.
Share Your Needs | Employee needs should be met, but that can only take place if you voice your needs. Speak with your HR consultant and communicate how your job can help you to accomplish your goals better. Inquire about flexible scheduling, possible solutions, and childcare.
Exercise | Exercise doesn’t merely trim the fat; it helps to reduce stress. Many employers have an onsite facility for employees to enjoy. Others have membership discounts to local gyms. Try to take advantage; it could do wonders for your health and your attitude. Studies show that workers are up to 13% more productive working from home than working at the office.
Be Vigilant | You don’t want to burn out, and the best way to keep that from happening is being aware of your job performance, monitoring your stress, and taking care to prevent physical exhaustion and error rates.
Embrace Telecommunication | If your job allows any work-from-home days, be sure to take advantage of those days. While it may be a challenge for some to be productive from home, others meet the challenge without difficulty.
Less Busy Work, More Efficiency | Being productive and working more isn’t the same thing, and we know this. Extended work hours tend to mean that employees grow more irritable, anxiety, and depression. Rather than working more hours, better manage the hours that you work, which should help address performance concerns.
Prioritize Health Initiatives | Long hours often means compromised health. By that, I mean, people often sacrifice fitness and health in favor of goals. To correct this, try to take time out of your busy day to workout quickly, and be sure to take time to visit the doctor.
Decorate Your Workspace | As you attempt to strike a balance between home and work, be sure to bring in images of your loved one, and personalize your workplace. If you create a more comfortable workspace, you’ll find that it’s easier to execute ongoing tasks.
Boost Creativity | Developing interesting creative projects helps to foster a better sense of balance. By taking a creative break, you’ll be able to better focus on your duties following the break.
If you know of other ways to achieve work-life balance, be sure to share!
