Achieving Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is key to happiness and success both on the job and in your personal life. But, for many people, new technologies and working from home have put our professional and personal lives on a collision course. 

In the past, when you left work, that was it. Even if you had to stay late or work overtime, when you got home there were no emails, no notifications. 

This doesn’t mean that everyone could completely disengage from their work when they wanted to enjoy their evening. We all get stressed from time to time and might carry some baggage when something is weighing on our minds.

Achieving Work-Life Balance

But now, there is sometimes no escape. We’ve all been there, enjoying an activity or spending time with family when an anxiety or stress-inducing notification comes in. 

Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it, though you wish you could. And it goes both ways; just as we get notifications from work during time off, we also get notifications and messages while we’re on the clock that distract us from our tasks.

The stakes are high: Statistics Canada found that workers who self-report that most of their days are quite stressful are more than three times as likely to develop depression than those who are less stressed.

Ironically, when employers’ expectations for their staff are exceedingly high, the results might be worse than if management had more realistic goals.

Workers who are overly stressed and feel like they have to stay late at work are more likely to view their work as a chore. Whereas those who take pride in their jobs, and have a sense of investment in what they do, are shown to work harder, make fewer mistakes, be more productive, and advocate on behalf of their company.

The message is simple: when we’re burned out, we don’t function as well and our mental health suffers; creativity and innovation go out the window too, while the likelihood of using prescription medicine and employee assistance programs increases. 

Outside of work, burnout reduces our ability to engage in our family life and fulfill the duties and responsibilities we have towards our children, spouses, and others. 

Physical health can suffer too. If you can’t keep up with work and home life, you’re less likely to find time to exercise or keep up with hobbies. 

Researchers from UCL (formerly known as University College London) found that those regularly working three or more hours of overtime were 60 per cent more likely to develop heart-related health problems than those who clock out after seven or eight hours.

A leading cause of burnout is, not surprisingly, a lack of work-life balance. So, what can we do to maintain or achieve the balance we need in our lives?

For some people, coping strategies are all they need. Working on time management and realistic scheduling can go a long way. But, it might also not be enough. 

Practicing mindfulness is great for your mental health and combats things like stress, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed. It can be as simple as taking a couple minutes out of your day to check in with yourself, relax your mind, and focus on your breathing.

Similarly, taking short breaks during work actually boosts productivity, particularly if you incorporate some light exercise or movement into it. A common tendency for busy people is to skip out on breaks because they have too much to get done. 

Little do they know, taking those breaks will help them get more done. Taking your mind off your task, standing up, and getting your blood flowing is good for brain function and reducing potentially distracting discomforts that arise from sitting too long.

Our bodies simply weren’t designed to be parked in front of screens for eight hours in a row. If possible, even consider taking walking meetings, whether they are in person or over the phone.

The great thing about this is you can get some exercise and spend time outside while still doing work.

When trying to improve your work-life balance, you may even want to think about it in terms of supply and demand. 

You have a limited supply of energy, attention, and capacity to do work. If the demands on you - whether at work, at home, or both - are higher than your supply, you’re at high risk of burning out. 

If you find yourself in this position, try to fully switch off from work on evenings and weekends. Disable email notifications and let your colleagues know you won’t be available at that time. 

Similarly, if you are working from home, discuss with your family how to make things easier on you. It could be as simple as asking them not to disturb you during certain hours while you are busy with work.

Essentially, this amounts to setting firm boundaries and communicating them with the people involved. 

Lastly, carve out some time for yourself and be mindful of your needs. Set time for exercise or hobbies in stone and think of them as things you need to do, just as you would (hopefully) still find time to have a meal if you are super busy.

Work-life balance is something we all need to be happy, healthy, and to thrive. Communicate your needs, identify your boundaries, and invest in yourself. The results will follow!