How to Improve Your Work-Life Balance

While a busy job or high-powered career can be rewarding, it can also overwhelm your life in an unhealthy way. Here are some tips for restoring and maintaining a positive work-life balance.

Recognise the Symptoms of Burnout

A certain level of stress can promote productivity and keep you motivated. However, it can easily tip over into burnout. It is important to recognise the signs and symptoms of burnout, so you can take steps to mitigate the negative impacts. Burnout results from exhaustion, which is often due to a prolonged period of stress. Consequently, a relentlessly demanding job that leaves little time for relaxation can be a cause of burnout.

Value Your Commuting Time

If you use public transport to get to work, your commuting time can become valuable ‘me’ time. Podcasts, language learning, writing, reading, or listening to energising music are all great, positive ways to spend the daily commute. If you drive, you might like to explore car-sharing opportunities in your area to make your commute more sociable. Rather than dread the journey, you might even find you start to look forward to your travel time each day.

Consider Your Work-From-Home Options

Due to the pandemic, working from home is a reality for more people, as employers recognise that their employees often prefer flexibility. It’s worth discussing work-from-home opportunities with your boss. Even if there isn’t a company-wide policy in place, your employer may be open to a bespoke arrangement. Not everyone is suited to full-time homeworking. However, a day or two working from home each week might offer a welcome respite from the stresses of your usual routine and give you more time to spend with your loved ones.

Plan Your Free Time

If you have a busy work life, it can be tempting to just flake out in the evening and over the weekend. However, if you put a little thought into how you spend your free time, you might find it can be restful and restorative. For example, rather than just hang out at home, plan a family day out at the weekend or a get-together with friends. Use your downtime to re-connect with those around you and it can have a positive impact on your stress levels and mood and, subsequently, make you more engaged at work.

Change Your Job or Career

Finally, while it might be extreme, if you’re struggling with stress and finding that your work is negatively impacting the rest of your life, you may wish to consider changing your job. This could be simply moving to another company or it might mean switching professions. People of all ages switch careers, some more than once. While it can be a positive change, there are things to bear in mind. These include whether you need additional education or training for your chosen career and how you can fund any required courses.

Overall, if you’re constantly tired, stressed and lacking energy, it might be because you have a work-life imbalance. Fortunately, there are things you can do to bring some harmony back to your life and improve your overall wellbeing.