All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.
It is said that work-life balance is not an achievement, but an imperative cycle one must penetrate themselves into to avoid burnout and low commercial productivity.
Despite conclusive evidence stating that long working hours can be harmful to both employees and employers, many office workers still wrestle to overcome their beliefs and their exceptionally established practices surrounding work hours.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is not only salient for health and relationships, but it can also improve employee productivity rate and therefore, performance.
One may ask, why is Work-Life balance important? Here’s why:
Lesser health issues – Being stressed and overworked increasing our chances to overlook and ignore our mental and physical health. A poor and lack of work-life balance lead to a repertoire of symptoms indicating a decreased physical and mental wellbeing.
Increased interaction among colleagues and expectations – Having a more interactive workforce will lead to more employees going “the extra mile” and becoming more loyal representatives of their work.
Fewer “burnouts” – Feeling overwhelmed and being unable to meet constant demands leads to burnout. The cynical effects of burnout can have dire consequences on one’s life and wellbeing.
Increased mindfulness – By invigorating oneself to have a healthy work-life balance, one can create an atmosphere where one is dedicated to the demands on hand. This further improves retention rates, productivity, and overall, profits.
Tips to engage in Work-Life Balance:
Forgo perfectionism – For those struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance tend to engage in a robotic, and near-perfect schedule, completely disregarding the ever-increasing responsibilities that tend to attach themselves with every undertaking. If left unchecked, perfectionism can become catastrophic. A healthy work-life balance will allow one to set aside their perfectionist schedule to engage in more open and conscious forms of expression at work and at home.
Unwind – There should be times when one must just be able to step away from their devices to take a breather and clear their heads. Constant dependence and usage of devices – phones or laptops – create expectations of accessibility even during times of breather and rest. One must avoid engaging in work-related tasks during days that are dedicated to personal matters (not texting clients during family engagements, or responding to emails and messages during leaves). This will help create stronger habits of resilience against work-centric availability.
Exercise and Meditate – Imperative needs, exercising, and meditation allow feel-good endorphins to pump into our bloodstream and act as effective stress busters. They act as a mood uplifter and can even function as a one-two drive by putting those exercising and/or meditating in a tranquil and relaxed state.
Several more tips can be applied to engage in and improve work-life balance. Those would be: Engaging in hobbies, efficient time management, engaging in remote work, team-building exercises, availing unpaid time off for personal matters, hybrid workspaces, fun clubs, EAPs (Employee Assisted Programs), and so on.
It is important to understand that maintaining balance is not hard and/or impossible if things are set based on priorities. Prioritize and engage for a healthier, more fulfilling attainment of responsibilities and wellbeing.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Munira Electricwala is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.