Work life balance is said to be an important aspect of a health work environment. Maintaining work-life balance reduces stress and help prevent burnout in the workplace.

Often, work takes precedence over everything else in our lives. Our desire to succeed professionally can push us to set aside our own well-being. Not only does having a balanced work-life help improve our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing, but it is also important for our career.

Balancing our professional and personal life can be challenging, but it’s essential.

What is Work Life Balance?

The online dictionary defined work-life balance as the division of one’s time and focus between working and family or leisure activities.

With the millennial generation of workers projected to take up 75% of the workforce by 2025, many leaders think it’s time to redefine what work-life balance looks like. Forbes

Work–life balance is the equilibrium between personal life and career work. Lillian Moller Gilbreth established the philosophical basis for work-life balance. Wikipedia

Tips To Improve Your Work Life Balance

1. Prioritize Your Health

Our health is said to affect our life in a positive or negative way; therefore, our physical, mental, and emotional health should be our number one priority. Ensure you eat healthy meals, exercise regularly and get as much sleep as you can.

Organising your schedule to fit in workouts, meal planning and any sort of mental focusing would help you not only live longer but is also said to improve self-worth.

2. Nurture & Build Family/Relationships

As much as we would say our jobs play an important role in our lives, and therefore takes most part of our day. Please be reminded that it is important to invest in other relationships outside the box of work.

Positive relationships and social support have been said to help build resilience and help individuals cope with stress. Therefore, take time to build and nurture these relationships by prioritizing time for your friends, family and loved ones.

3. Set Boundaries

Often we confuse the desire to show that we are motivated and hardworking with the need to say ‘YES’ all the time. Learning how to set boundaries at work helps relieve stress and prevent burnout.

Knowing when to say ‘NO’ can be essential to your work life balance, evaluate your schedule and be sure there’s room before taking on additional tasks or workload. Whenever you feel overwhelmed do not be afraid to ask for help from your colleagues or even your boss.

4. Leave Work At Work

It’s important to establish boundaries on your availability after hours and leave work at the office. Set and communicate your work hours to your colleagues or client which clearly states when you are at work and when you won’t be available to respond.

Develop a mental on-off switch between work and home, refrain from the pressure of taking your work home every time or checking work emails while you’re at home and only respond to anything that can’t wait until the next day.

5. Make Time For You

To boost our mental health and self-esteem and to ensure that we are investing in a healthy work-life balance it’s important to invest or take time out for ourselves. Make time for something you love other than your work, schedule regular time off for yourself each week.

Take that course you’ve been procrastinating about, read that book, play sport, have that spa date, or just stay indoor relaxing. Just find whatever excuse it is to do your me time.

6. Unplug

Don’t be afraid to unplug. Unplugging does not necessarily relate to work only but also social media. Take some time off to focus on your own activities, take a break from social media, go on a vacation. Taking some time to unwind and disconnect will help renew some mental clarity and newfound energy that keeps you refresh and ready to take on the world.

In all remember that there’s no such thing as a perfect work-life balance. Juggling the demands of a career and personal life will probably be an ongoing challenge and you will constantly be learning and adapting as your interest and circumstances change overtime. But by setting limits and looking after yourself, you can achieve the work life balance that’s best for you.