How to Achieve Work-Life Balance Employment

Going to work is an important part of life. Not only does working bring structure to our lives it can also empower us or boost our self-esteem. Giving too much time to our work life can mean we neglect our home and personal life, which can cause problems.

Work-life balance means that both your working life and personal life are balanced. That is, you can fulfil your required roles in both areas without conflict arising between the two. Achieving and maintaining a work-life balance is important for your mental health, your career and your personal life, therefore its important to pay attention to how much focus and time you are putting into each area and how it is affecting your work-life balance.

In this article, we will explore the ways in which you can strive to achieve a work-life balance. Whether that involves being a parent, taking part in a hobby or going to work.

Achieving a Work-Life Balance

Everyone’s work-life balance is personal to them. It can vary due to a wide range of factors including age, where you are in your career, whether you have children, and what you enjoy doing as a hobby. One person’s idea of work-life balance may look wildly different to someone else’s – and that’s okay. What matters is you and how you feel about your own work life balance.

Your work-life balance may also look different at various points in your life. For example, if you are trying to get a promotion or reach a certain career goal, you might make the decision to work harder to achieve this. However, it’s still important to give yourself a break to avoid burning out as this can have very real implications for your future.

Create Firm Boundaries Between Work and Life

The first step to achieving a better work-life balance is to create firm boundaries between ‘work’ and ‘life’. For example, you may make a point of not getting work emails to your personal mobile phone or not checking emails while you are at home or on holiday. You may also make a point of leaving work on time and taking the whole of your break allocation to allow for downtime.

Set SMART Goals

If you are ambitious and plan to further your career, you might find yourself putting in lots of time and effort and losing sight of your work-life balance. To counter this, it’s a good idea to set yourself SMART goals around your ambitions to help you stay on track without losing sight of what matters to you outside of work. SMART goals are:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Realistic
  • Time-bound

Prioritise ‘Me’ Time

Taking time for yourself is not selfish. It’s actually really important. Therefore, make sure you ring-fence and prioritise ‘me’ time. That is, put it in your diary and don’t reschedule it for anything. Me time can look different for everyone. For example, you may enjoy going out with friends and being social. On the other hand, ‘me’ time for others might involve having a relaxing bath, exercising, watching television, or reading.

The most important thing is that you allow yourself to enjoy ‘me’ time, whatever that looks like.

Don’t Be Afraid To Say No

If you take on too much, it can throw off your work-life balance. For that reason, it’s important to be assertive and say no when you need to protect your time and headspace. Remember: you don’t have to say yes to everything. In fact, you have every right to politely refuse a request or explain that you don’t have time to do something right now and may need to push it back.

Communicate Your Needs

Finally, make sure you communicate your needs to those around you. For example, if you feel overwhelmed at work, schedule a meeting with your boss or line manager and explain what is going on. A good employer will do everything they can to support you to carry out your duties without overwhelming you or causing you to burn out. Often, there is an easy solution to be found that benefits everyone, however you need to make your voice heard for it to happen. Similarly, if you care for family at home and find taking time for yourself difficult to prioritise, be honest with those around you who can support you.

Do You Need Help Finding A Work-Life Balance?

If you are finding it difficult to achieve a work-life balance, we can help. Here at BBO we work with individuals in Stafford and South Staffordshire to support them in living fulfilled and productive lives. While we can help you find work should you wish, that isn’t all we do. We can also connect you with a wide range of training programs to help you build your self-esteem and confidence. Alongside this, we work with partners across the region and our advocates can provide financial advice and support with health and well being and/or personal development.

To find out more, contact us today by giving us a call or filling in the contact form below. Alternatively, you can drop into any of our Work Clubs across the region. There’s no need to make an appointment, just turn up!