Work Life Balance
How is your current work-life balance would you say?
This question normally leads to a full on conversation with most people. So many things to consider… Are you fully office based WFH (Work From Home), (Living At Work) or a hybrid of all three? Perhaps you are retraining after redundancy or like some working a number of different jobs at once.
Times they have sure changed these last 20 or so months. Whatever scenario you find yourself in I bet you most people are struggling to find perfect work life balance.
Let’s just think about a few things on the list of priorities family, friends, pets, exercise and work of course.
Its been a really tough time for everyones mental health and stress is on the rise in the workplace too.
Studies have shown that stress at work can be just as dangerous as second hand smoke and that high job demands increase the odds of having a doctor-diagnosed illness by 35 percent!
Research has also shown us that long work hours increase the chances of early death by 20 percent. Also, long-term overworking can lead to anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, insomnia, and a weakened immune system.
The pandemic has caused workers stress trying to juggle everything from home schooling to longer hours and also be available what feels like 24/7 to an employer.
We’re beginning to understand that personal wellness is important and that mental health should take a priority. Achieving that level of wellness often means letting go of trying to be “perfect” in every aspect of your life, and just shooting for your own personal meaning of “excellent.”
One of the difficulties of our current environment is technology. Phones and tablet, laptops and zoom calls has made us able to work constantly and our employers sometimes believe they can and should reach out to us at all times of the day and night.
Understand that there are times when you just have to turn off your phone and enjoy the moment. Those pesky notifications not only interrupt your time off, but send deeper signals to your psyche, alerting your mind of things unfinished (notifications unchecked), and send stress hormones coursing through your system. By not reacting to notifications, you’ll develop stronger habits of resilience, and resilient people feel a greater sense of control over their lives in general.
Exercise is another way to find work life balance. This isn’t everyone’s favourite thing to hear, but as we all know, exercise is a great way to keep your body and mind in tip-top shape.
When we’re busy, we let things slip. Maybe we skip meals, maybe we don’t make enough time for sleep, but that’s a huge problem! One thing that can throw a wrench into this unhealthy cycle and force you to eat and sleep is exercise.
Perhaps download an app and make time for a few minutes of yoga every day. Maybe even take a few minutes to practice your plank and work your core. Do something that challenges you just enough to make you feel as though you’ve completed something that you can feel good about.
I work with clients helping them find balance in their lives.
If you’d like to hear more visit Sarahstannard.com