According to a survey by the Harvard Business Review, 94% of workers say they work more than 50 hours per week, and more than half said they work more than 65 hours per week, which learly makes it difficult to maintain a work-life balance. Work-life balance is the amount of time spent at work and the quantity of time spent engaged in non-work activities. Work-life balance requires being balanced both mentally and physically. It’s also critical for increasing productivity. Emotionally and physically balanced employees can produce better results for the employer, and the team they work with.
We’ve researched the most effective ways to achieve a better work-life balance and brought them here for you. Add these 6 Helpful Tips to your daily routine now and start finding that perfect balance you’ve been looking for.
6 Tips to Achieve Better Balance in Life
1. Search for a Flexible Employer
Remember that it may be your job causing this feeling of unbalance. Job flexibility is one of the most desired corporate benefits among many employees today. If your company gives new meaning to the word rigid, employees may need to look elsewhere – flexible employers do exist! Pay attention to articles profiling companies that are particularly family friendly or rated as the “Best Places to Work.” These companies are often a great place to achieve work-life balance.
2. Ask and You Shall Receive (Maybe)
Want a more flexible work arrangement? Whether it’s flex-time, job sharing, or a shorter work week, try asking for it. Employees should be comfortable highlighting personal strengths to show management they’re worthy of special considerations. An employee should be prepared to give his or her boss the details of a new proposed work arrangement, so they know it’s well thought out and developed.
3. Start a Work-Life Balance Group
Form a work-life balance group that meets once or twice a month. The group can include co-workers but doesn’t have to. Start by creating a group on Meetup, or a similar site and go from there. Many people decide to run groups at work, with the permission of management, but others prefer to select locations outside of work to meet. Use this group to discuss best practices for achieving work-life balance.
4. Schedule “Me” Time
“Me” time is one of the most important aspects of work-life balance. All “me” time activities should be non-negotiable. If it’s important for you to do a thirty-minute workout three times a week, mark it with permanent marker on their calendar and do it. There will always be more important work/life events that will compete for your time, but you need to realize that personal commitments are just as valuable.
5. Realize a Temporary Lack of Balance is Acceptable
It may feel like life is temporarily out-of-balance from time-to-time. Sometimes it’s worth it, like when someone decides to go back to school or take the time to care for a child or parent. Other times, it may just be a momentary lapse of balance like an illness or injury. If this is the case, rest assured that a few days off balance and out of routine never hurt anyone.
If the benefit is greater than the drawback, accept it – understand that there’s a new important, temporary priority. When your situation normalizes, simply shift back to a better balance with a new sense of accomplishment.
6. Recognize the Signs of Burnout
When life remains out-of-balance for an extended period of time, people can suffer from burnout. The signs of burnout will vary from person to person, but include:
- Fatigue
- Lack of motivation
- Low job performance
- Negativity
- Poor self-care
- Health problems
- Difficulties with relationships
Refresh and relax! Something as simple as taking a weekend vacation could be the perfect remedy or maybe something major is in order, like a change in careers.
Finding the Balance
Online learning courses can be a great way to jump start the balancing process as well. Check out the Finding Work-Life Balance course or Fitness and Wellness tutorial on KnowledgeCity for more information on living a balanced life.
