Work/Life balance.

A term that has been thrown around a lot in the past 5 years or so. The pressure of an increasingly demanding workplace culture is undoubtedly the biggest challenge to both the physical and mental health those who are in work. We feel pressured to perform in the workplace and as such, sacrifice our own personal lives to make sure we can deliver.

We need balance.

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is not only important for health and relationships, but it can also improve your employee’s productivity, and ultimately performance. More simply, if members of staff don’t view work as a hassle or a chore, then naturally, they’re going to work harder, make a lot less mistakes and are more likely to be positive about their work. Work related stress already costs Britain 10.4 million working days per year. We need balance. We need to have our time out from work to relax, to enjoy life and to spend time with those that mean the most to us.

 

Finding the balance shouldn’t be one-sided.

While you might really want a better work life balance, it shouldn’t just be down to you. Your workplace should want to help you manifest a better work/life balance. If your work/life balance is off, you should speak to your boss and see if you can take a look at your work patterns or the culture in your work place. Discuss the problems.  If you’re a valued member of staff, your superiors should want to help you. They know that they’d get better from you if you had a better work life balance. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Switching off.

Some people are natural workaholics. They need to be constantly checking their e-mails, putting reports together, or making a sale.  They find it hard to switch off, or they might feel pressured not to switch off.

Close your laptop or  turn off your work phone! Pick a reasonable time every night to disconnect. No e-mail or call is too important that it eats into your time outside of work.

Make time for the things you enjoy outside of work. You have a life outside of work – enjoy it.

Ensure you’re getting enough sleep every night. We can’t function without sleep. You’ll find that you’re getting more shut eye at night that you’re able to get a lot more done during they day as you’ll have more energy.

Meditation, mindfulness and yoga are all great ways to help you relax. As little as 5 minutes a day can help you de-stress and relax. Just five minutes out of your day to relax your brain can help you to refocus. It can take a little while to master but the results are worth it.

Encourage others to switch off too. If yourself and your team are struggling to find a work/life balance, why not suggest that you all take some time out together? Why not go for a meal after work? Why not all agree to finish up an hour earlier one night (if it’s okay with your boss that is!)? Maybe you could organise a team building day where the focus is on having a good time and getting along together rather than feeling bogged down at work?

 

Finding the balance isn’t easy, but it will be worth it!

Here at Blue Glove Jobs, we know that work is important, and liking your job is vital. But when it gets to the point where it’s taking over your life, you have to take a good look at the situation and find the happy medium.