7 awesome tips to ensure a great work-life balance
Before I began writing this article, like every other time, I started my research dwindling through facts and figures, looking at a plethora of blog posts and case studies.
That is when the realization struck me, almost everyone I know, including myself, has a somewhat disruptive work-life balance. This not only applies to people working remotely but also those working out of an office.
Recently, allegations surfaced on Reddit about the company’s demanding work culture, including mandatory 2 a.m. meetings. The CEO, Aadit Palicha, sparked further debate by appearing to mock work-life balance in a social media post. This incident highlights ongoing struggles with excessive workloads and a lack of boundaries in modern workplaces, fueling discussions about prioritizing employee well-being.
What does work-life balance mean?
Work-life balance refers to the degree to which personal and professional activities are prioritized in an individual’s life and the extent to which work-related activities are prevalent at home.
Work-life balance is defined by how employees manage their time at and away from work. Relationships, family duties, and other extra interests and hobbies may take up time outside of work. The ways a person uses to juggle all of their professional and personal obligations are referred to as work-life balance.
The importance of work-life balance
Work-life balance looks different to everyone. But, being on-call every evening and weekend for years is not sustainable. It is important to have enough time for work and your personal life. This makes sure of your well-being and leads to a more fulfilling life, both at home and in the office. Some of the benefits of work-life balance are:
- Improved physical health
A recent study found that 37.8% of respondents experienced physical, emotional, and spiritual health problems due to poor work-life balance.
Spending too many hours working leads to stress that weakens the immune system and causes frequent illness. A healthy work-life balance protects your health, which means you will take fewer sick days and have more energy for your activities.
- Higher productivity
Ever felt like you’re working more but completing less?
When you feel unbalanced, your mind wanders to the things you wish you were doing. When you feel you have time for both work and play, projects go smoothly because you can focus on one thing at a time.
- Career advancement
If you’re struggling to complete your projects on time, have a mind drift during meetings, and wake up dreading going to work, chances are you’re not going to be the first person your boss thinks of when it’s time for a raise or promotion. Making enough time for sleep and exercise helps you fully participate and be present at work to keep you on track for advancement.
- More creativity
No matter what your line of work is, creativity is important when you are solving problems. When your life is balanced, ideas flow more easily, and solutions to problems are more apparent.
- Happiness
It can be difficult to define what happiness is. But you sure know what it’s like to be unhappy. Looking forward to work, taking on new projects with a “can-do” attitude, and feeling content with the small things are signs of happiness.
What does a good work-life balance look like?
Work-life balance is defined as reducing work-related stress and establishing a consistent and long-term work schedule while sustaining health and general well-being. Work-life balance means you’re equally fulfilled by the duality of your personal and professional lives.
There’s no magic formula for balancing work and energy, and there’s no one-size-fits-all amount of time you should devote to one vs. the other. It also means that one facet doesn’t overwhelm the other, and you’re motivated by what’s in store for you that day when it’s time to swap gears.
A healthy work-life balance does not mean that you must divide your time equally between work and personal life; instead, it means you are content in every aspect of your life.
How to improve your work-life balance?
Work-life balance has evolved to include both challenges and solutions aimed at helping employees manage their time effectively. Practices like burnout prevention and stress management have been incorporated by organizations in everyday working routine.
To help our readers manage work and personal life better, I will be elaborating certain tips and tricks that will help them.
- Take breaks when needed
Once in a while you must pause. Look around and give yourself time to breathe and rejuvenate. Taking frequent breaks between work can help you cope with stress and exhaustion while giving you a fresh perspective on things. Physical activity, such as a brief stroll, watching a fun video, or listening to calming music, can be highly beneficial in this situation.
Short pauses like these will help you recuperate from exhaustion and improve your job agility and thereby, help improve your performance and productivity at work.
- Set clear boundaries
To avoid burnout, you must define clear boundaries for yourself and your team members. Avoid thinking about impending projects or responding to work emails as you leave the office. You must also clearly tell your colleagues and superiors that you will not be available 24/7 and need personal time for other important things.
Consider having a work computer or phone that you can turn off when you leave the office. In the case of remote work, maintaining boundaries can be difficult. When your workspace is your living space, it is tempting to work late hours. This constant “on” state leads to burnout and reduced well-being.
Solve this problem by using a project management tool like ProofHub. It brings your projects, files, and chats together-all in one place. You can assign tasks with deadlines and have a bird view of the progress of all tasks. ProofHub keeps you organized and efficient, which reduces stress and lets you focus on nonwork things, too. Thus, promotes a healthy work-life balance.
Organize and manage your tasks seamlessly with ProofHub. Sign up now for a 14-day free trial! No credit card required.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle
To attain a healthy work-life balance, an employee must maintain a healthy lifestyle. Healthy employees are assets for an organization. A poor work-life balance harms employees’ physical and emotional health. Given this, it leaves a significant impact on their productivity. Encouragement of employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle reduces various health hazards.
A stress-free mind may be a chamber filled with clarity, even as good physical health allows one to remain vibrant. This can enable employees to achieve their careers and private lives. A healthy lifestyle is an excellent stress management strategy for workers because it allows them to address stress more effectively.
- Do what you love
Even though employment is an accepted societal standard, your career mustn’t limit you. To put it simply, if you despise what you are doing, you may not be happy. You are not bound to enjoy every element of your career, but it should be attractive enough that you don’t mind getting out of bed in the morning.
When you do what you love, you put in sincere effort, work from your heart, and deliver high-quality work in time. If you work in an environment you don’t enjoy and a profession you don’t love, you are bound to fail in the long run, which is ultimately detrimental to your mental health and professional life.
- Map out a plan
To harmonize work and personal life, one must properly plan and have a fixed schedule. If you wish to act discreetly in particular situations, you want to speak together with your managers and teammates. Your obligation to your family is as vital as your professional obligations.
Here, ProofHub comes again; you can use it to create a clear and flexible work plan. It gives you control over your work. You can assign tasks to your team members with deadlines to keep everyone on the same page. With ProofHub’s built-in chat and discussions, you can communicate effectively with your colleagues. Keep track of everyone’s progress in a single view with Kanban boards.
ProofHub can help you achieve a better work-life balance. Explore its amazing features to experience it yourself.
There is also a gender prejudice for working fathers or working guys at work, and they regularly believe that they need a smaller share of domestic responsibilities.
Working women are often overburdened with both domestic and professional responsibilities. Sharing responsibilities among relations, additionally, as communication with coworkers and managers, becomes critical for maintaining professional and private well-being.
Keep your projects on track. Plan and organize tasks with ProofHub! Start your 14-day free trial now!
- Take some time to rejuvenate
In our busy schedules between work and family, it’s hard to give yourself time to relax and rejuvenate. But what we need to understand is that spending time with yourself is the best way to relieve stress and refresh your mind.
Taking yourself out of your daily routine and entirely removing yourself from work-related tasks is the best way to establish an environment conducive to high productivity and creativity. From yoga to meditation and from long nature strolls to sitting by the window watching the birds, anything can help you recharge.
Frequent, mindful breaks help acquire clarity and makes one rejuvenated, energized, and driven. You are investing in yourself by taking more rejuvenation days to replenish your mind and body, thus helping you bounce back to work effectively.
- Communicate what you feel
Communication is quintessential to achieve a harmonious work-life balance. If you’re having trouble reconciling your professional and personal lives, be open and honest with your boss about your concerns. If you need to rearrange your schedule or disperse your workload, express your worries and brainstorm ways to manage your priorities.
By being vocal about your thoughts and feelings with your superiors as well as subordinates and encouraging them to do the same is a great way to be on the same page when working together.
Work-life balance during remote or hybrid work
Working from home can result in merging our work and private lives whether you are working hybrid or remote. When your job and house have merged, it can cause a good deal of complexity in both our professional and private lives. Some people may match longer hours to preserve their productivity and agility.
At the same time, others may spend hours staring out the window and browsing through their Instagram feed. In any case, you’re not acting appropriately. Work within the time frame that has been set. Maintain your agility and productivity while devoting the balance of some time to your loved ones. To ascertain a balance between your personal and professional duties, set task priorities and deadlines. Avoid burnout to extend your productivity.
Wrapping up
A clearly defined work-life balance is key to a great personal and professional life. While technological advancements have made work easy and accessible, it has also defiled all boundaries between work and home.
This is precisely why we need a functional routine and an established order of work-life balance. You must take time out for yourself and not let your work commitments creep into your time.
Here’s hoping the tips above will help my readers take control of their lives.
Remember,
“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” — Dolly Parton
If you enjoyed reading this article:
Clap: So others can find it
Comment: If you have a question/suggestion you’d like to ask
Follow: ProofHub to read all the articles
