With new technical advancements, it is easy to maintain our professional and personal life. Even during unavoidable situations we can do work-from-home. But, work precedes our personal life most of the time. We are ready to sacrifice a bit more of our personal life to succeed in our professional life. However, we have to maintain our physical, mental, and emotional well-being too.
Therefore, we have to try work-life balance for a better living. By building a pleasant work-life integration we can improve both our professional and personal life. We can equally prioritize work and personal life to create a state of equilibrium.
When we spend more time working and less personal time, we end up being stressed and mental exhausted. We get a piling feeling when professional and personal demands are more and we gradually feel disengaged or discontent after quite some time.
That said, Work-life balance does not mean spending equal time for work and personal space. But, it has a larger perspective, it’s all about planning, prioritizing and setting boundaries according to our needs to save time and energy. Having a balance is imperative for a happy and satisfied environment.
There is no magic to work-life balance, we have to look for an organization that promotes a work-life balance culture. We also have to strategize our personal space without interrupting our career.
Be Open For Everything: When talking about work-life balance, it seems very simple. If we plan, we can be productive at work and reach home early to give ourselves some grace. Well, that is not going to happen. We have to understand that there is ‘no perfect’ schedule or balance. We have to be realistic. Some days we might spend more time at work, while other times we might be busy with our family and friends. We have to be open for accessibility- professionally/ personally. Being available is the key in finding work-life balance.
Cut Ties From The Surrounding: Sometimes overthinking and stress might hinder brainstorming ideas and other activities. There is no potential benefit or solution we get from it. So, we can keep it a practise to unplug ourselves from the real-world and transit to a pleasant space via meditation, music, dance, painting, cooking, etc.Taking some time-off to unwind ourselves is the best way to stay energized and everything else falls into place.
Prioritize Health: Staying fit and healthy has more benefits than we really think. Health does not mean only being physically fit, but being mentally and emotionally stable. Struggling with chronic illness or depression or anxiety, everything affects our professional and personal life. Seeking professional help is of top priority. Also, we need not take sick leave or permissions, instead perform well at work. Prioritizing health is beneficial for a long run.
Going On A Vacation: Pausing from work and going on a vacation is the best way to recharge physically, mentally, and emotionally. It can be a one-day vacation, a staycation, or a trip for a couple of weeks/ months. Most of the time we avoid taking leave, thinking that it might disturb our workflow and create backlogs. However, we are eligible for vacation or taking time-off . It helps revitalize and gain all the energy to work for the rest of the months.
Set Boundaries and Goals: Setting boundaries means not thinking about work while at home. While working (WFH(work-from-home) or AFH(away-from-home)), it is important to allocate a specific time to do the office work. Else, we might be busy with office work even while spending time with family and friends. Similarly, by following time-management we can achieve the stipulated goals. Planning and prioritizing the work for the day increases our overall productivity and performance.
Me-Time With Family and Friends: As much as career, family and friends are too important to us. Spending quality time with family and friends helps better living. No matter how hectic the work schedule is, spending time with our loved ones is important.
The employees who invest their time and energy to complete a project/task should be encouraged. A potential employee reflects the progress of the organization and its growth. Therefore, employers should focus on offering certain perks to the employees to improve the work-culture, attract more talents, enhance engagement, and increase the retention rates.
Planning and Break-Offs: With a well-laid plan, it becomes easy to organize and schedule the work for the day. Planning helps to prioritize the work and concentrate on main tasks. Also, having short-breaks helps to rejuvenate themselves. Physical and mental refreshment boosts the agility at work.
Encourage Healthy Activities: Healthy lifestyle is the key to healthy organization. Physical and mental health has a significant impact on the work of an employee. The performance and productivity might hamper the work and life of the employees. So, companies should encourage employees to follow a healthy lifestyle. Leisure game activities and play elements can be incorporated in the work-culture to refresh the employees
Flexible Timings and WFH: Companies can follow a flexible time schedule to enhance the employees performance at work. With a flexible schedule, employees can plan and focus on their personal/social space as well. Also, this reduces the work-stress. With digital advancement the WFH (work-from-home) is a better option, as employees' transportation time, unnecessary absence can be avoided. Employees knowing the importance of the WFH option can work with gratitude and work productively. This helps build a good relationship between employees and employers.
Timely Feedback Sessions: Providing timely feedback can help enhance a healthy work atmosphere. With ever changing work demands and advancements, having feedback sessions helps both the employer and employee discuss the work-related concerns to achieve a progressive work-flow. Also, it helps plan the short-term and long-term goal of the organization.
Maternity/Paternity Leave & Child Care Facility: Child birth comes with added responsibility to both the parents. Companies can introduce leave plans and insurance schemes related to pregnancy and delivery. In today’s scenario, both parents are professionals and they struggle to choose between career and family. Companies should step forward and consider that both the parents are equally responsible in raising their children, and take steps to create awareness among others in the industry. Child care facilities become an added advantage for the organization as well.
We can bring work-life balance by setting our boundaries and priorities. Similarly, the company or organization we work for should be supportive in maintaining a harmonious work-life balance. Though it might be tricky at the beginning, with proper practise we can easily achieve our needs.
Also, we should frequently change our schedule and revisit our priorities to see our progress and ways to improve.
