How to maintain a healthy work-life balance
Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.
A quote we are sure you are all familiar with and is something that we often have to remind ourselves of at Dthree too.
In today’s circumstances, your career can easily become the most important focus in your life. But at what cost to your health? There is no better time to reflect on your working habits and put some time into achieving a healthier work – life balance.
Sounds easy right? However, many of us still struggle with what this actually means.
Creating a healthy work – life balance is incredibly important, not just for your overall happiness, but mostly for your well being. Giving your life more balance will also benefit your engagement levels, your overall productivity and performance at work – so why wait any longer?
If there is anything the last 12 months have taught us, its that your health should be the most important aspect of your life, so here are some simple steps to help you achieve a healthy work- life balance without taking your eye off that career goal!
Time Management:
It seems like the most simple step, but is one that many of us still struggle with. Even the most organised person can feel like their deadlines are never ending and find themselves working ridiculously long hours to get the job done – especially when we are all at home. Time management is all about prioritising your work load, setting yourself achievable deadlines and making sure you dedicate the required time for the task at hand without over stretching yourself.
A to do list can be the most effective and efficient way to better your time management and to prioritise your tasks. It will also give you a quick snapshot of what you are working on, so if any more deadlines come through the door, you are able to manage peoples expectations for the get go.
Know when to switch off:
One of the biggest challenges we have all faced in recent times is separating home from work, especially when home is the workplace. Businesses are increasingly embracing the new communication platforms available to them, from emails to instant messaging and social media, the list is ever growing. Even if you make a point of ‘leaving the office’ and closing your laptop at the end of a working day, you are still reachable through various online platforms, at any given time.
We can all be tempted to look at our emails late at night for peace of mind, or to respond to a message from bed regarding an important deadline, but it’s vital to switch off and spend a couple of hours a day for you.
One way you can do this is by turning off notifications on your phone in the evenings and weekends, to avoid the temptation of looking at an email or message once it flashes up on your screen. With the restrictions now beginning to ease, leaving your phone at home when out for a walk so that you have no distractions can help you to really focus on living in the moment and getting that well deserved break.
Change your environment:
With month spent working on our sofas and dining room tables, changing your environment has never been more challenging. Make sure you leave your working space from time to time and go into a different room for some down time.
It is no good sitting at your desk for 12 hours a day looking at your screen waiting for the next spurt of motivation. Your focus is imperative to your success and no one can stay focused for 12 hours straight without a break! So try changing your environment even if its just going for a walk at lunch – you will feel a lot better for it and your productivity and performance levels will rocket.
Take care of yourself:
Working all the time will eventually burn you out, and lead to you feeling poorly or run down. Regardless of how much you value your job, it is crucial to take care of yourself in the process. If you are not feeling 100% or are exhausted from the long hours, your performance and productivity will inevitably drop.
We all have busy days, but that’s no excuse to push your health aside. Always try to eat healthy, drink lots of water and exercise when possible (even if its just a daily walk or bike ride) every little helps!
We hope these simple steps help get you on the right path for having a better work – life balance! Remember, you are not alone and times are very hard, so if you are feeling overwhelmed or unhappy, speak up and seek help.