FOUR EASY STEPS TO MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Work–life balance is majorly used to describe the balance that a person has put between the time shared or the time distributed for work and other aspects of life. These days, work-life balance can seem like an impossible thing to do but it’s not.Work–life balance is the lack of opposition between work and other life roles. It is the state of equilibrium in which demands of personal life, professional life, and family life are equal. Work–life balance consists of, but it is not limited to flexible work arrangements that allow employees to carry out other life programs and practices.  The term ‘work–life balance’ is recent in origin, as it was first used in UK and US in the late 1970s and 1980s, respectively –Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

To work efficiently and effectively in every aspect of life, Work-life balance is very important especially in the aspect ofmaintaining a healthy life. Work-life balance helps reduce stress and helps prevent burnouts in the workplace.Some major damaging effects of a poor work-life balanceinclude a higher risk of stroke and mental disorders, like anxiety and depression. Based on some research, it has been noted that individuals who work 55 hours or more a week have at least 1.3 times higher risk of getting stroke than those working standard hours.

 Most people find maintaining a good work-life balance difficult because it seems like there is so much to do with very little time; frombalancing work/study life, to balancing work/family life, to balancing work-life in general. I admit it appears difficult but there are ways to maintain such balances and you can achieve this by:

Prioritizing your time

 For instance, you may have a schedule list with some tasks on it, now all you need to do is to prioritize those tasks by sorting them into different categories; Urgent and important, Important but not urgent, Neither urgent nor important. Before doing this, firstly you have to understand the difference between “urgent and important”. Though people tend to mistake “urgency for importance”, they have different meanings. Urgentmeans that a task requires immediate attention. These are the to-do’s that shout “Now!” Urgent tasks put us in a reactive mode, one marked by a defensive, negative, hurried, and narrowly-focused mindset. Important tasks are things that contribute to our long-term mission, values, and goals. Understanding these differences will guide you in prioritizing your time correctly.

Time Management

Wherever you are, be it the office, school, or at home, it is important to make use of your time wisely. Don’t bring your personal issues over to the workplace, and also, if not more important, keep your work at the office.  Workers or individuals who work from home may have a more difficult time creating a boundary between work and life. Time is the most valuable commodity in life. It is the one thing you cannot buy more of.

Pacing yourself

 To have a long, healthy, successful, productive, and happy life and career, you need to understand the value of pace. There are times when you need to increase the pace, and there are times when you can reduce the pace. Self-awareness is crucial. Doing so will help you enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

Work to your strength

Focus on your strengths and abilities anddon’t try to please everyone. If you’re not a whiz or genius at a particular task or you cannot do a task, look for other alternatives from other people instead of struggling with it all by yourself.

In conclusion, as time goes on and you enter different phases of life, always remember that maintaining a work-life balance is important to ensure a healthy working environment.