How to have a good work-life balance
A recent study (by management consultants The Discovery Group) of more than 50,000 employees from a variety of manufacturing and service organizations found that two out of every five employees were dissatisfied with the balance between their work and their personal lives. The lack of balance was due to ‘long work hours, changing demographics, more time in the car, the deterioration of boundaries between work and home, and increased work pressure’. Do you believe your work and non-work life are in a healthy balance?
1. Know the signs.
Are you among the increasing number of workers who admit to a lack of enthusiasm, poor concentration, low productivity, insomnia, stress related illnesses – or a constant nagging from your family that they need some quality time with you? These are sure signs that you need to make a break, that there is a lack of balance between your work life and personal life.
2. Understand work-life balance.
It’s probably time for all of us to create a greater balance in our work and personal lives, and to achieve a sense that we have
• enough time in the day to effectively accomplish work-related tasks
• the ability to get through our daily work and family responsibilities without feeling drained
• the capacity to participate in activities we enjoy on a regular basis.
Jatrine Bentsi-Enchill of InSite Corporate Coaching & Training believes that at the heart of successful work-life balance is – accomplishment (getting the stuff we need to get done) and enjoyment (having the time for loved ones, fun, rest, exercise and hobbies). Although the notion of achieving such balance is simple, actually creating a balanced life isn’t easy – but it is definitely worthwhile. Undertaking the journey toward life balance requires patience and determination, and an acceptance of the following guidelines…
3. Know your values and your priorities.
If you’re a diligent worker, then everything is a priority but, too often, our time and energy are spent on things that we don’t really care about. Which is why we need to be clear about our values
and priorities. Begin by saying ‘no’ to those things that move you further away from your values and priorities and ‘yes’ to those things that are in alignment with your values. As Bentsi-Enchill says: ‘You can begin to structure your life in a way that supports the personal and professional goals you want to accomplish. Determining the goals you want to accomplish, and the quality of life you want to live, will help guide you toward figuring out what balance looks like for you.’
