How to Maintain Work-Life Balance
In this day and age, technology allows for constant connection, resulting in a blurring of the once distinguished separation between work and home. With constant access to emails and other messaging platforms, work frequently extends beyond 5pm, resulting in an imbalance between our professional and personal lives. If you feel consumed by work, this blog post is for you. Keep reading to learn the best practices to help you reclaim your personal time outside of the workplace so you can be your best self—both in the office and at home.
The Cost
Over working can take a serious toll on your mental health and wellbeing and can lead you to miss out on import life events. Consider the consequences of a disproportionate work-life balance:
- Exhaustion
A common symptom of overworking or lack of boundaries between work and personal time is burnout. Burnout can be described as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It is important to establish boundaries between your professional and personal life to prevent burnout in the workplace.
- Declining health
Over-working can cause your body to become physically exhausted. Exhaustion weakens the immune system, making you more susceptible to common sicknesses such as a cold or flu as well as more serious long-term health problems.
- Missing out on life events
If you are spending too much time at work, you can miss out on precious time with your loved ones. Consider your relationship with work and ways to strike a healthier and happier balance.
Reclaim Control
If you feel like you might spend too much time and energy at work, don't worry, you are not alone. Most people who balance a career and personal life are faced with the challenge of juggling several responsibilities at a time. But don't despair—here are some tangible strategies that will help you to reclaim your work-life balance.
- Manage your time
Allow yourself enough time in your workday to complete your tasks. If you are constantly rushing to complete an assignment, you can develop chronic stress. Taking more time also allows you to produce higher-quality work.
- Don't be the "yes" man
Learn how to say 'no'. This may sound easy, but if you are a people-pleaser, this can be a challenge. Safeguard your time and energy by establishing boundaries and saying 'no' when you need to rest.
- Disconnect from work
Seek ways to disconnect from work after-hours. If you work from home, this can be a particularly challenging obstacle. Whether you turn on "do not disturb" on your smartphone or device, or put together an automatic out-of-office reply when you are on vacation, find ways that work for you to disconnect and separate yourself from work.
- Seek guidance
If you need help reclaiming your work-life balance, do not hesitate to reach out to others. Take advantage of resources such as Human Resources staff members, supervisors, or managers at your workplace or seek help from a mental health professional in your community.
