For most people, finding a balance between the demands of a career and personal life is a continuing struggle. Attaining the mysterious “work-life balance” can seem unimaginable, especially for perfectionists. Is it possible to manage a career and a family and feel content with both.
It’s important to understand what the phrase means.
Achieving a work-life balance does not mean dividing your hours between work and personal activities equally. Managing your life should be approached more organically. Furthermore, your individual work-life balance will differ from someone else’s and will change over time. It’s a fluid concept.
There are, however, two key elements to consider at all times as they compose the crux around which a successful work-life balance revolves: daily achievement and enjoyment. Enjoyment doesn’t just mean fun and laughter. In this context, it refers to love, celebration, tranquility and all the joys of living.
Realising that you cannot truly experience the one without the other will guide you to the conclusion of your individual balance. The idea is to achieve something and to enjoy something in every aspect of your life on a daily basis.
If you find that you spend most of your time working, and tend to feel overwhelmed by duties and responsibilities, it is recommended that you reserve time for your family, friends, and yourself when you plan your day or week. Dedicating daily time to fun and relaxation will lower the production of additional stress hormones that give rise to poor mental and physical wellbeing.
Make sure that you are aware of the effects of a poor work-life balance:
Fatigue
When you are tired and overworked, you struggle to think clearly and to function effectively. This can have a negative impact on your work image, and increase the risk of detrimental or expensive errors.
Poor health
Stress is known to have adverse effects on the immune system and tends to inflame symptoms that result from any medical condition. It can also lead or contribute to substance abuse.
Lost time
Spending too much time at work means that you may miss out on events or occasions that carry significance for your friends or family. This can create unwanted distance between you and your loved ones. Nurturing relationships when you’re constantly exhausted from work is difficult. As a result, you run the risk of harming or losing them
Greater expectations
Once you start to increase your working hours, people may begin to expect more from you. This brings forth additional responsibilities and challenges, which is what you should be trying to avoid.
Losing control of work-related stress is likely to prove damaging to your mental health. When weighed down by work, you are prone to neglect the aspects of your life that protect you from developing mental health problems like anxiety and depression. You can prevent this from happening by making the necessary lifestyle changes that will ensure a healthier work-life balance.
The first step is to take responsibility for your individual balance by finding a solution that is best suited for your personal needs. Cube Workspace is constantly exploring ways in which to improve the wellness of their clients. The flexible, customised work environments that they provide could be your way out of a frustrating situation.
