Resetting Your Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is not a luxury but a necessity for maintaining physical and mental health. This week, I'll be covering some common signs of burnout, some benefits of having a better work-life balance and my top ten tips of things you can do to help reset the balance.

First things first - do not beat yourself up. This image shows the countries with the worst work-life balance.

?We must find a positive in this though:

1. We are not in the top ten
2. It shows you are not alone... most of us have a poor work-life balance.

Common Signs of Burnout:

It is important to take a step back and do some self-reflective practice as you may recognise these signs in yourself:

• Long work hours – are you consistently working late or taking work home on evenings and weekends?
• Neglecting personal time – are you finding it difficult to make time for hobbies, relaxation, or self-care?
• Poor sleep pattern – do you have trouble going to sleep, staying asleep and/or a poor bedtime routine?
• Health issues – are you constantly feeling under the weather, got a cold you can shift or frequently ill, exhausted or stressed?
• Broken relationships – have your friendship and relationships broken down or communication stopped because you have disconnected from family and friends due to lack of time and/or energy?
• Constant fatigue – do you feel constantly tired?
• Increased stress and anxiety – when work slips into your personal life it can make it difficult for you to relax or enjoy your time and in turn makes you more stressed.

How many of those do you recognise in yourself?

You don’t have to share it with me or anyone else, but be honest with yourself if you thought ‘that’s me’.

Work-Life Balance Benefits

Here are some of the benefits of having a work-life balance:

1. Improved physical and mental health
2. Enhanced productivity
3. Better relationships with friends and family
4. A renewal of joy for hobbies and interests.
5. Less stress and anxiety.
6. A more fulfilled day, week and life.
7. Better resilience.
8. A better team player/leader/manager
9. Newfound freedom.
10. Connections with new people.

How to Reset your Work-Life Balance

Now you are aware of some of the signs of a poor work life-balance and some of the benefits, let’s explore my top ten practical steps that you can take to reset:

1. Set boundaries - establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. This includes having set work hours, not turning up for work early, not staying at work late and being strict on those times. It will be hard at first, but it will get easier. It is important to communicate these boundaries to your colleagues to ensure they respect your personal time.
2. Prioritise self-care – I cant tell you what this looks like, because this is up to you. Make self-care a non-negotiable part of your routine and do something you love. It may be playing the PlayStation, having a pamper evening, going to the cinema, doing some exercise, reading a book or simply enjoying some downtime with loved ones.
3. Get a to do list! - efficiently managing your time at work will prevent the need for it to spill into your evening and weekends.
4. Remember to ask for support and delegate jobs where you can as this will help lighten the load. Admitting you need help is not a weakness, it is a strength.
5. Take those work apps off your personal device – I wrote this and thought to myself, I could not do that! You are probably thinking the same, but unplugging and disconnecting from the office is crucial to help prevent slip back into work mode! If you are like me and still thinking you cant, do what I have done and turn off the notifications and remove the app icons into a folder so you aren’t always looking at them.
6. Take your breaks – why don’t we take our allocated breaks in this country? How many of you take your lunch whilst sat at the desk working? Get up and spend that time doing something you like. Read a book, check your social media, go for a walk. Use that time for you, that’s what it is for.
7. Learn to say no – it is okay to say no and this skill is crucial to maintain that balance. Do what I have learnt to do ask what tasks will be removed to free up your time to do an additional task. You are not a robot, so don’t be treated like one.
8. Make a list of things you would like to do when you have more time – is that reconnecting with friends or family, is it a new skill, is it to get back to the gardening, to read more books? Making a list can help you reach a better work-life balance as you have something to strive to change for.
9. Reflect – hopefully this blog has made you do just that.
10. Make small changes – the rest is down to you. Make smaller changes and do not try to do everything in one go.

Call to Action

As you embark on the journey to reset your work-life balance, remember to be patient with yourself and stay committed to making positive changes. Share your journey with others to inspire them to do the same. Write about your successes on social media (and let me know)

Together, we can create a healthier, more balanced work-life environment for everyone.

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