Authored by Flynn Forster - Content Marketing Lead 
Published 08/09/2022
The Work-Life Balance: How to Achieve It
We all know the importance of achieving a work-life balance. Achieving a work-life balance is key to being happy and successful in both our personal and professional lives. But how do we actually achieve it? Here are some tips on how to achieve the elusive work-life balance.
What is work-life balance?
There’s no one answer to the question, “what is work-life balance? ” The term means different things to different people, and what works for one person may not work for another. That being said, there are some general tips that can help you achieve a better work-life balance. First, try to set regular hours for both work and personal time. This will help you create boundaries and avoid letting your work life spill into your personal life (and vice versa).
Why work-life balance is important?
If you're feeling tired, stressed, or even depressed and you're not sure why, it may be because your work/life balance is, well... unbalanced. When these things happen, the effects can be detrimental to your health and the quality of your life. It's extremely important to make sure you have the structure in place to make life easier, productive and less prone to mistakes.
How to achieve and maintain a work-life balance in 5 steps
A work-life balance is when your time spent working does not negatively impact the other areas of your life. This can be difficult to achieve, especially if you have a demanding job. Here are some tips on how to achieve a work-life balance:
1) Set boundaries between work and personal time: When you are at work, focus on work and when you are at home, focus on relaxing and spending time with loved ones. This can help prevent burnout by preventing overlap between the two areas of your life.
2) Take breaks during the day: Taking regular breaks during the day is crucial for maintaining your work-life balance. Breaks provide you with a chance to relax and recharge.
3) Find a hobby: Find an activity that you enjoy outside of work. It can be anything from indoor rock climbing to reading a book. This will help you relax and have a positive outlet when you're not at work.
4) Tracking your time: Keeping track of your workload and how much time you spent at work can help you find a healthy balance. You can time yourselves while you do certain tasks to see if you are working efficiently. This can help make the most of your time and prevent overworking.
5) Prioritize your personal life: It is very important to make personal time a priority. If you are personally satisfied, it will make you a better employee.
The burnout - what happens if you overwork too much?
You may be wondering: What is burnout and how do you know if you've got it?
Burnout is a disabling condition which results from stress or emotional exhaustion. It occurs when a person reaches the limit of their physical, emotional and psychological ability to cope with strenuous work demands. Not having that balance between work and personal life can be incredibly detrimental to both your personal and professional life. If you do not take a step back from your day-to-day routine and well... stop, then you will start to burn out.
What causes poor work-life balance?
There are many causes for a poor work-life balance, some of which are more common than you may think. Here are a number of reasons that we have identified:
Not taking time off: Anyone who does not take time off from work or who takes very little time off will have a difficult time finding a healthy balance between personal and professional life.
Not having a structure: Now this isn't to say you should over-do it and try to control every minute of what you do day to day, but by not having a schedule or structure for both personal and work life, then you may find it very hard to actually get things done. With the use of technology becoming more and more important to our everyday then make sure to use tools such as: Asana, Clickup and Monday (that's if you want to get rid of the old sticky notes slapped everywhere!)
Taking on too much: I think we're all victims of wanting to impress and say yes. However, taking on too much is a slippery road to burnout. Setting clear priorities and only tackling what is truly important will help you lead a much more productive and positive life.
Success and career progression: Hear me out... being ambitious is no bad thing as long as you don't get so caught up in your goals that you end up not enjoying the journey towards that goal.
The four day working week
Here at Flexioffices, we have adapted to a new way of working. We give employees the opportunity to opt in for a four day working week. The result is that the Flexi team have a better work-life balance and have the choice to have an extra day off per week. Interested to find out more of how we implemented this within the business. Take a look here: https://www.flexioffices.co.uk/blog/four-day-working-week-diary
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