Maintaining an optimal work-life balance is essential not just for workers’ social lives, but for their health. Overworked employees experience more stress and fatigue, take more sick days, and have more trouble managing their interpersonal relationships, especially in today’s age when the stresses of the modern workplace can easily follow workers home via email and remote work assignments. Read on to find six tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance in today’s fast-paced and competitive world.
Leave Work at the Office
The Internet connects people all over the world, including managers, coworkers, and clients. Creating a healthy boundary between work life and home life requires active intention, so make a conscious effort to leave work at the office instead of checking work emails and engaging with clients from home. Those who work from home can find Office Space for Rent to make it easier to manage to make the break.
Learn to Say No
Remember that it’s OK to say no, even to coworkers. Employees who already have too much on their plates should avoid spearheading extra projects or taking on tasks assigned to coworkers. While most modern workers want to progress in their careers, taking on extra work can actually lead to decreased performance on the job, especially for those who are already struggling to maintain a healthy balance between work and play.
Make Time for Fun
Try to find an activity to do at home that isn’t productive but provides plenty of fun and relaxation like hiking, gardening, or painting, and set aside some time to practice it every day. Making time for fun and developing new hobbies gives consumers a sense of fulfillment that goes beyond their work duties and helps to improve their mental health. Don’t monetize that new hobby. The point of setting aside an hour or two for fun and relaxation is to create some stress-free personal time every day.
Minimize Interruptions
While at work, try to minimize interruptions. Most people can only sustain maximum concentration for about an hour and a half, after which point their abilities to retain and process new information takes a dramatic turn for the worse. When workers are interrupted a half-hour into their tasks, it will take them much longer to get back on track and regain full concentration. That’s one of the reason so many freelancers and remote workers rent space at co-working facilities to avoid all the distractions of home.
Bolster Personal Support Networks
Those who work traditional office jobs can benefit from befriending their coworkers in more ways than one. Having healthy interpersonal relationships increases job satisfaction, but that’s not all it does. It also gives stressed-out workers someone who can help cover for them if something comes up at home. The same goes for home life, when trusted friends, family members, and partners can be called upon to help when deadlines are coming up.
Get Some Sleep
Sleep deprivation can cause a lot of health problems. Inadequate sleep impacts both work performance and employees’ abilities to enjoy their home lives, so aim for eight hours per night and don’t let looming deadlines get in the way.
The Bottom Line
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance improves employees’ physical and mental health, reduces fatigue, and increases job satisfaction. Company policies designed to guarantee workers the chance to maintain a better work-life balance are catching on across the country, but the responsibility for making appropriate changes typically lies on workers themselves, so start coming up with solutions as soon as possible.