Introduction
Are you someone who faces difficulty in keeping a balance between your work life and personal life? We live in a world that just seems to be running. Whenever we look, everyone is in a rush to reach somewhere, literally and figuratively. This is why people like you and me are unable to achieve and maintain a work-life balance. But if it is our priority, we will make it happen, right? In the article, let me share with you certain tricks you can use for the same.
“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to-do’ list.” – Michelle Obama [1]
What is Work-Life Balance?
Do you look at some people and have this urge to either ask, “Does this person ever work?” or “Does he ever rest?” And then there are certain people who are somewhere in between; they work, and they get time to have their leisure time also.
For example, whenever I watched the show ‘FRIENDS,’ I would ask, “Do they even work?” And suddenly, there will be one episode of all the characters working. But then there are shows like ‘Suits’ where I would think about Mike Ross if he ever rested or took a break from working hard. When I did a bit of further research, I got to know there are some real-life celebrities like that as well who are advocates for work-life balance, like Richard Branson, the chairman of Virgin, Will Smith, a Hollywood actor, etc.
Work-life balance, basically, is when you are able to equally devote time and effort at work as well as toward your personal life, whether it is for yourself or your loved ones [2]. There can be a lot of reasons why you’re only able to focus on one over the other, but if you find a balance, you will feel a weight being lifted from your shoulder.
What are the Effects of Work-Life Balance?
Work-life balance can make your life feel absolutely wholesome. Here’s how [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]:
- Reduced Stress: When you have a balance between work life and personal life, you will feel very light, mentally and emotionally. Your stress levels will start reducing, and you will feel blissful in your life. In fact, you will even have greater job satisfaction.
- Enhanced Productivity: When you feel that there is balance in your life, you will be able to notice that you are able to complete your tasks faster and gain better results. So, basically, your productivity would increase as well.
- Improved Mental Health: When you are not stressed about work and life and your productivity increases, you are bound to feel relieved. That way, you will be at a lower risk of having anxiety and depression.
- Increased Job Satisfaction and Engagement: With work-life balance, since you’ll be less stressed, you will be more satisfied with your job or work situation. You’ll even be more committed. For example, when the company Zoom came up, it was growing slowly and steadily, but during covid 19, they had to work harder to provide for their customers. The employees might have to work overtime, but because Zoom encourages work-life balance, most stayed committed.
- Better Overall Well-being: When you achieve a work-life balance, your mental, emotional, physical, and social health will start increasing. So you’ll be able to have a better quality of life and remain happy.
How does Work-Life Balance Affect our Mental Health?
Our mental health is at the most risk if we are not able to find a balance in our lives. Here’s how work-life balance can help our mental health [7] [9] [10]:
- You will be able to prevent burnout, chronic exhaustion, and a general feeling of being low.
- You will be able to notice that your stress levels start reducing.
- You will be able to have a positive outlook toward your life.
- You will be full of energy and excitement.
- You will be able to have a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction at work and at home.
- You will notice that you are more dedicated and committed at home as well as at work.
- You will be less prone to having symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Read more-Work life balance and reduce anxiety
How to Maintain Work-Life Balance?
Maintaining work-life balance requires conscious effort and effective strategies. Here are some ways to maintain a work-life balance [3] [4] [5]:
- Set Boundaries: You need to have a clear time limit between work and personal life. While you’re at work, nothing related to home should come in between and vice versa unless it’s an emergency. That way, you will feel rejuvenated and relaxed. So, once you’re done with work, do not bring it home and spend all your time with your family or for personal activities like exercising, etc.
- Prioritize Self-care: You need to have a healthy lifestyle filled with a good self-care routine. You can add relaxation techniques, regular sleep time, exercise, healthy eating, spending time with loved ones, hobbies, etc., as a practice. That way, you can enjoy your life, feel relaxed, have a healthy work-life balance, and have a good overall well-being.
- Utilize Flexible Work Arrangements: You can ask your bosses to allow you some flexible work arrangements like flexible hours at work, work-from-home, etc. That way, you can do things at your own pace and not get too hassled. This will help you achieve a better work-life balance and lower the chances of confusion or conflict between work and family.
- Practice Effective Time Management: You can decide on having work hours, break time, me time, and family time. Through this structure, you can feel really good about yourself, be productive, reduce procrastination, and increase your sense of self-worth. The only condition is that you need to stick to this routine.
- Seek Social Support: When nothing works, relationships do. You can connect with like-minded people who, like you, are trying to prioritize work-life balance. You can share ideas with them. They can provide you with the support you need to achieve a better work-life balance.
More information about Workaholic’s guide to finding balance
Conclusion
You might have heard of the statement, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” When we focus on only personal life, our work suffers, and when we only focus on work life, not only does our family suffers, but we are also more prone to burnout, anxiety, depression, and high-stress levels. You need to find a balance, and a lot of celebrities have already spoken about how they were able to do that. Give yourself time and be patient with yourself. Make changes slowly but surely. Even when you decide to take a step toward leading a healthy and happy life, you will surely not be able to do that in one day.
If you or someone you know is struggling with work-life balance, contact United We Care. Our team of experienced counselors and wellness professionals is dedicatedly providing guidance and support. We will help you discover effective methods and strategies to enhance your well-being and empowerment.
References
[1] C. Nast and @voguemagazine, “How Michelle Obama Always Puts Health and Wellness First,” Vogue, Nov. 11, 2016. https://www.vogue.com/article/michelle-obama-best-quotes-health-fitness
[2] M. J. Sirgy and D.-J. Lee, “Work-Life Balance: an Integrative Review,” Applied Research in Quality of Life, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 229–254, Feb. 2017, doi: 10.1007/s11482-017-9509-8.
[3] “InnerHour,” InnerHour. https://www.theinnerhour.com/corp-work-life-balance#:~:text=Factors%20Affecting%20Work%2DLife%20Balance&text=Studies%20show%20that%20those%20who,have%20better%20work%2Dlife%20balance.
[4] J. Owens, C. Kottwitz, J. Tiedt, and J. Ramirez, “Strategies to Attain Faculty Work-Life Balance,” Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 58, Nov. 2018, doi: 10.18061/bhac.v2i2.6544.
[5] E. E. Kossek and K.-H. Lee, “Work-Family Conflict and Work-Life Conflict,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management, Oct. 2017, Published, doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190224851.013.52.
[6] S. Tanuputri, N. Nurbaeti, and F. Asmaniati, “The Influence of Work-Life Balance on Employee Satisfaction at Grand Hyatt Jakarta Hotel (Case Study of Food and Beverage Service Department Employees),” TRJ Tourism Research Journal, vol. 3, no. 1, p. 28, Apr. 2019, doi: 10.30647/trj.v3i1.50.
[7] C. Bernuzzi, V. Sommovigo, and I. Setti, “The role of resilience in the work-life interface: A systematic review,” Work, vol. 73, no. 4, pp. 1147–1165, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.3233/wor-205023.
[8] T. J. Sorensen and A. J. McKim, “Perceived Work-Life Balance Ability, Job Satisfaction, and Professional Commitment among Agriculture Teachers,” Journal of Agricultural Education, vol. 55, no. 4, pp. 116–132, Oct. 2014, doi: 10.5032/jae.2014.04116.
[9] M. J. Grawitch, L. K. Barber, and L. Justice, “Rethinking the Work-Life Interface: It’s Not About Balance, It’s about Resource Allocation,” Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, Feb. 2010, Published, doi: 10.1111/j.1758-0854.2009.01023.x.
[10] F. Jones, R. J. Burke, and M. Westman, Eds., Work-Life Balance: a Psychological Perspective. 2013.
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