Importance of Work-Life Balance for Mental Health
Pratik Naik
Learning & Development Leader @ Qualys | Empowering Global Teams & Transforming Lives through Learning ?? | Architect of Growth-Driven Talent Strategies ?????
#worklifebalance ?is typically defined as the amount of time you spend doing your job versus the amount of time you spend with loved ones or pursuing personal interests and hobbies. When work demands more of your time or attention, you'll have less time to handle your other?#responsibilities ?or?#passions .
Many people want to achieve a greater balance between their work life and their personal life so that work does not take up the vast majority of their time.
Most important aspect for everyone about having a excellent work life balance is managing?#stress ?at?#work . Here are a few quick tips to?#reduce ?your stress at work.
Reasons why a healthy work and life balance is important
According to studies from the American Institute of Stress , 83% of American workers suffer from work-related stress. Of those, 19% say it’s due to balancing work and life.
Obviously, none of these indicators previously mentioned sound appealing. But since it sometimes works better to highlight the positives, let’s shed some light on the positive effects that come with a healthy work-life balance.
How to improve work life balance?
At this point, you might realize this whole work and life balance thing sounds pretty good. Wondering how to improve work life balance? Let’s go over some tips and tools you can utilize to boost balance, whether you’re an employee or an employer.
If you’re currently working for a company but feel like you could use a more healthy balance between work and life, here are some tips.
Take time off
This may sound like kicking in an open door, but taking time off from your daily obligations is crucial to staying happy and healthy. Notice how it says daily obligations rather than work. If you have a bunch of obligations at home, you deserve a break from those, too.
Taking time off can take many shapes or forms. A full week of vacation, half an hour, and everything in between, as long as it’s your time. Think about ways you can destress, by turning off your phone or going into nature, for example.
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Prioritize your health
Another obvious but crucial way to boost a healthy balance is by prioritizing your health. A healthy body is much better equipped to deal with stressful situations.
You don’t have to be an athlete on a raw vegan diet; the key is in balance yet again. Finding a happy medium that works for you and is feasible to maintain long-term.
Start by making small changes, like going to bed half an hour earlier or drinking a glass of water when you wake up.
Set boundaries
Feel anxious just looking at your calendar? Learning how to say no and setting clear boundaries will have a positive effect on your mental health.
Although a certain level of flexibility is necessary to power through life, it’s okay to not be flexible for a change and stick to what you think or feel you need.
Work your own way
Perhaps you’ve had a glimpse of life working from home during the lockdowns, and liked what you saw. Or maybe you prefer working four slightly longer days to have a fifth day all to yourself.
Sit down with your boss to see if you can mold your job into something that suits you better. Working Monday to Friday from 9 to 5 is an outdated concept, and luckily, more and more people have started to see this.
Last but not the least,