10 top tips to finding a healthy work / life balance - how to reduce stress and find happiness
DESCRIPTION
Find a healthy, happy work / life balance with our ten top tips! If you find yourself working too many hours, or feeling constantly under pressure you're not alone. In our 'always on' culture the lines between work and home are increasingly blurred. Finding a work / life balance that works for you can help reduce stress and increase happiness.TRANSCRIPT
Getting a healthy work/life balance
Almost half of UK managers work an extra day of unpaid overtime per weeka recent study* into working practices has suggested. With over 90% of managers working beyond the traditional 9 – 5, the lines between home and work are looking increasingly blurred.
However busy you are, it’s important to get a work/life balance that suits you. Millions of working days are lost each year due to stress-related illness, so it’s really important you look after your own wellbeing.
Read our top ten tips to finding the right work/life balance for you.
Know yourself
W e ’ r e a l l d iff erent a n d i t ’ s a l l a b o u t f i n d i n g t h e r i g h t b a l a n c e f o r y o u . S o m e
o f u s t h r i v e o n cha l lenge , s o m e o f u s d o n ’ t .
Pa y a t t e n t i o n t o y o u r o w n n e e d s a n d w e l l b e i n g , a n d p l a y t o y o u r s t re n g t h s .
S o , i f y o u ’ r e a l a r k , t a c k l e t h e t o u g h j o b s e a r l y i n t h e d a y w h e n y o u ’ r e a t y o u r m o s t p ro d u c t i v e. I f y o u ’ r e a n o w l , t h e n u s e t h e f i r s t h o u r o r t w o t o d o n e c e s s a r y
b u t u n d e m a n d i n g t a s k s .
Choose ‘good enough’ ov e r s o m e t h i n g p e r f e c t .
I f i t n e e d s t o b e d o n e , i t o f t e n j u s t n e e d s t o b e d o n e
w e l l , n o t p e r f e c t l y .
Y o u ’ l l b e f a r m o r e e ff e c t i v e a t w o r k i f y o u g e t l o t s o f t h i n g s d o n e w e l l , r a t h e r t h a n o n e o r t w o p e r f e c t l y .
L i k e w i s e i f y o u de legate a t a s k , i f i t ’ s d o n e w e l l , s a y t h a n k y o u a n d m o v e o n .
D o n ’ t w a s t e t i m e w o r r y i n g a b o u t h o w y o u m i g h t h a v e d o n e i t t h a t l i t t l e b i t b e t t e r .
Make a To Do list
W h e t h e r y o u u s e a c l a s s i c n o t e p a d a n d p e n o r a c o m p l e x p r o j e c t p l a n , m a k e s u r e y o u k n o w w h i c h p r o j e c t s y o u ’ r e w o r k i n g o n a n d w h a t n e e d s t o b e d o n e .
Po o r o rg a n i s a t i o n a l s k i l l s c a n m e a n y o u w a s t e w o r k t i m e , w h i c h e a t s i n t o y o u r e v e n i n g .
F o r m a n y p e o p l e t h e s i m p l e p r o c e s s o f c ro s s i n g t h i n g s o ff o n a l i s t o n c e t h e y ’ r e c o m p l e t e h e l p s t h e m r e a l i s e t h e i r a c h i e v e m e n t s e a c h d a y . W h e n y o u ’ v e f i n i s h e d y o u r To D o l i s t f o r t h e d a y i t ’ s t i m e t o s t o p w o r k i n g .
Ask for help.
D o n ’ t b e a m a r t y r ; i f
y o u n e e d h e l p t h e n a s k f o r i t .
R e c o g n i s e t h a t a s k i n g f o r h e l p i s b o t h n e c e s s a r y a n d s e n s i b l e s o m e t i m e s .
T a l k t o y o u r Head of Department or Manager , a n d t h e s o o n e r , t h e b e t t e r .
Always stop for meals
H o w e v e r b u s y y o u a r e , m a ke t i m e t o e a t . S k i p p i n g m e a l s w i l l o n l y m a k e y o u l e s s p ro d u c t i v e .
I f y o u ’ r e w o r k i n g a t h o m e i n t h e e v e n i n g s e t a s i d e s o m e t i m e t o e a t , w h e t h e r i t ’ s w i t h y o u r f a m i l y o r a l o n e .
I f y o u w a n t t o p e r f o r m a t y o u r b e s t m e n t a l l y , y o u n e e d t o look after yourself , a n d eating healthy r e g u l a r m e a l s i s v i t a l .
Say no.
O b v i o u s l y y o u d o n ’ t w a n t t o s a y n o a l l t h e t i m e , b u t i f y o u ’ r e a l r e a d y
o v e r l o a d e d h a v e t h e c o n fi d e n c e t o e x p l a i n y o u c a n ’ t t a k e o n a n o t h e r p r o j e c t r i g h t n o w .
T a k i n g o n y e t a n o t h e r t r i c k y p r o j e c t
w h e n y o u ’ r e a l r e a d y s t r u g g l i n g j u s t i s n ’ t s e n s i b l e .
I f y o u r e a l l y w a n t t o s a y y e s t o a n e x t r a r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o r p r o j e c t , s e e i f y o u c a n d e l e g a t e o r g e t r i d o f a n o t h e r t a s k t o f r e e u p t i m e .
Do something for yourself
A t l e a s t o n c e a w e e k d o s o m e t h i n g f o r y o u r s e l f t h a t y o u ’ l l l o o k f o r w a r d t o a n d e n j o y .
R e m e m b e r t h i s i s f o r y o u – n o t f o r w o r k , n o t f o r y o u r p a r t n e r a n d n o t f o r y o u r f a m i l y . W h e t h e r i t ’ s a S p a n i s h c o n v e r s a t i o n c l a s s o r r e a d i n g a
t r a s h y n o v e l i n t h e b a t h f o r t h e h o u r , t a ke t i m e o u t f o r y o u .
D o n ’ t c h e c k y o u r e m a i l s , a n d s c r e e n a l l i n c o m i n g c a l l s – o n l y r i n g b a c k i f t h e r e ’ s a n e m e r g e n c y m e s s a g e o n y o u r v o i c e m a i l . I f y o u
d o n ’ t c a r v e o u t s p a c e f o r y o u , i t w o n ’ t h a p p e n .
Outsource
D o n ’ t b e a f r a i d t o o u t s o u rc e w o r k t o a n a g e n c y i f y o u n e e d t o .T h e r e a r e o n l y s o m a n y h o u r s i n t h e d a y , a n d t h e y ’ r e n o t
a l l f o r w o r k i n g .
I f y o u r w o r k l o a d i s s i m p l y u n m a n a g e a b l e , t h e n l o o k a t
o u t s o u rc i n g e l e m e n t s o r b u y i n g i n a d d i t i o n a l h e l p . P u t
t o g e t h e r a b u s i n e s s c a s e a s t o w h y y o u n e e d t o o u t s o u r c e ,
a n d a l w a y s g e t a t l e a s t t h re e q u o t e s .
Use technology
S o m e t i m e s y o u n e e d t o a t t e n d a m e e t i n g o r e v e n t i n p e r s o n . S o m e t i m e s y o u d o n ’ t .
U s e w e b i n a r s , c o n f e re n c e c a l l s a n d S ky p e t o
re d u c e y o u r t r a v e l l i n g t i m e .
I f y o u d o h a v e t o t r a v e l , t h i n k a b o u t u s i n g t h e
t r a i n r a t h e r t h a n t h e c a r . T h i s w i l l f re e u p t i m e t o w o r k o n y o u r l a p t o p . O r y o u c a n s w i t c h o ff f r o m w o r k f o r a w h i l e a n d r e a d t h e p a p e r , o r c a l l t h a t f r i e n d y o u ’ v e b e e n m e a n i n g t o c a t c h u p w i t h .
Unplug and switch off.
B u i l d u n i n t e r r u p t e d t h i n k i n g i n t o y o u r d a y , a w a y f r o m t e c h n o l o g y .
W h e t h e r i t ’ s w a l k i n g t o w o r k o r r e a d i n g o n t h e t u b e , t a k e t i m e o u t t o u n p l u g a n d s w i t c h o ff .
O u r b r a i n s n e e d a b i t o f r e s p i t e i n o r d e r t o c o m e u p w i t h a l l t h o s e c r e a t i v e a n d i n n o v a t i v e i d e a s a n d s o l u t i o n s . A n d w o r k p h o n e s h a v e n o p l a c e i n t h e b e d r o o m .
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*Research from Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).