In part one of this two part blog we discussed what is work/life balance and how we can achieve it. In this blog I explore practical ways to achieve a greater sense of balance between your work and home life in part two of my blog series. Click here to check out part one of this blog where I explain the essence of work/life balance.
How is your Work / Life Balance?
Making an action plan is an important first step to take when looking at practical ways to have a more harmonious work/life balance.
Professional Life
In 2011, a study of almost 8000 surgeons found participants had experienced a work/life imbalance within the past three weeks. It was seen as one of the top three factors contributing to burnout. Reaching the tipping point can be avoided by taking some of the following steps:
Prioritise and delegate
If you are a manager, it is important not to micromanage. We can become consumed with making every little decision so that it seems there is zero time left for better management. In the end, it is not about working too hard, it is about working smarter. Ask yourself, are you prioritising your tasks? Or, are you spending time on things that are too simple or could be outsourced?
Recognise your process
To prioritise your time, start with analysing your daily routine at work. What makes you do overtime at work or start extra early in the mornings? Make a list right now. Beside each item, write down a logical resolution to acting on those items. Focus on the big picture and see if you are missing something. For example, is your office located in an area that attracts clients, or are you spending too much time and energy on travelling and marketing across town? Analyse and see where you can make changes that would fix some of those things on your list.
Flexibility
For most of us, having control of our work hours has shown significant improvement in job satisfaction and work/life balance. Flexible working environments, such as working remotely through cloud based systems and hot desking, have resulted in people feeling they have more balance in their life. This is because they can make their job and home life harmonise without feeling like they are compromising on anything. The results of taking initiative and asking for a more flexible schedule is a game changer. More and more workplaces are adopting flexible approaches as they are recognising the benefit they have for employees wellbeing and increased productivity.
Communicate
It is important to get some words out. You may assume that other people hear and understand your stressors or your concerns. The truth is, they often don’t know until you tell them about it. Everyone is trying to get through their day and their work week in their own way. If there is something holding you back from your own potential that you feel someone could assist you with, let them know. Gary Keller said “Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls, family, health, friends, and integrity, are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, or perhaps even shattered.”
Personal life
In a recent study by the Mayo Clinic, a survey of 900 staff and their partners found the strongest predictor of relationship satisfaction is the amount of awake time spent with partners daily, not the number of hours worked. Below are some tips on how to be effective with balancing your life.
Schedule some family time.
Scheduling is crucial. We make appointments with hairdressers, lawyers and other professionals but often forget to show the same commitment to the people closest to us. It may seem a bit formal but it guarantees that you slot in time when you and your partner, friends or family can put work aside and enjoy some quality time together. Send a calendar invite or leave a Post-It note on the fridge, whatever invitation you pick, make the get together something to look forward to.
Create a weekly log-off routine.
Pick a day of the week or a time slot during the day that is specifically allocated to your friends, your family or even just you-time. Make sure to communicate this to your colleagues and superiors so that they will not expect you to pick up a call during this time. Sticking to this routine will ensure you will not be interrupted from whatever you choose to do in that time slot. Remember, habits are learned over time.
Stay away from technology.
With mobile phones and other devices right at our fingertips it can be hard to completely log out and rest. Respect and treasure the time you get to spend with your family and preferably keep your phone away. Try limiting television time and avoid distractions such as computer games.
Through actively managing your time, your energy, your work and life pressures and your ‘to do’ lists you’ll create more energy for you! By actively taking charge, putting in healthy boundaries, managing and monitoring yourself amongst the pressures of life you’ll end up with more energy than you’ll know what to do with. This is what I call ‘discretionary energy’. This energy can be reinvested into further self care, into asking for more complex jobs at work, put into friends and family that might need it more than you - either way, you’ll have more choices in how you want to choose to live your life.
“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it,” Thomas Buxton said.
Randa Abbasi is a New Zealand trained Occupational Therapist and owner / operator of WorkSpace IQ. Randa has over 25 years experience in leading and managing teams in the health sector and specializes in ergonomics, wellbeing, personal and professional development and clinical supervision.
Randa can be reached at WorkSpace IQ | Home
Mobile: 021 1971 060
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