Tipping the work-life balance
Tipping the work-life balance has become a tricky act for most workers.
Even if you don’t have a standard 9 to 5. If your’e making your money as an Entrepreneur, Freelancer or Content Creator/Influencer, you still have to grind hard. Often juggling multiple hats with what often feels like not enough hours in the day. A constant struggle getting all your work done. Already the umpteenth cup of caffeine ingested, long after close-of-business. Your now squinty eyes still glued to your PC screen. This has resulted in a surge of employees feeling they are tipping the work-life balance into a state of unhealthy. The extreme consequence for some – suffering burnout.
Since the Covid 19 pandemic, many companies are wanting workers in-office and onsite. Despite this, candidates are still exploring jobs offering flexible working hours. Or even an option to take a sabbatical, should the need arise.
According to betterup.com, with more people working from home, the revolution of AI now “transforming workflows” and concerns around job security – “the line between work and life has never felt more blurred.”
While people still favour “more money” as one of the top reasons for changing jobs, many now want a position that won’t negatively impact their wellbeing. This includes seeking jobs where they’re not expected to work too much overtime or have a hybrid working model. Where they feel there’s an open-door policy to be able to express feelings of burnout or even have the option of taking some time off to recharge.
So how do you know when you’re tipping the work-life balance into a territory of “unhealthy”? Here are my personal “dead giveaways” that perhaps work is encroaching on your private life.
Not only you but people around you like friends and loved ones have noted you’re “always working” –
Questioning the fact, you seem to have neglected that it’s weekend already. You at a family braai but can’t resist sending that “last email”. Also, usually an accompanying feeling of guilt that, with a laptop in tow, you are not present with them. Sometimes even resorting to cancelling social plans to work instead.
Fear of taking off sick or putting in some leave –
I think practically most workers suffer from this one. You are coughing your lungs out. BUT, you believe you “can’t let the team down” or “afford to take leave right now”. Unless your boss is an actual tyrant, they most probably will not fire or replace you for taking off sick. Within reason of course.
Overworking has also been found to be linked to deteriorating health.
A study quoted on betterup.com stated that “Research shows that working more than 55 hours a week is linked to a higher risk of stroke, along with increased rates of anxiety and depression. Even when adjusting for fairly normal sleep patterns, another study found that working longer hours correlated with a decline in physical health.”
Your self-care is practically non-existent, and you struggle to get to tasks at home –
You’re so stressed about work you’re not eating or eating too much (and the non-healthy variety). Or you don’t know when last you had a proper night’s rest. That pile of washing you vowed to sort out – precariously stacked and threatening to collapse if you add another item. The initial little pile now grown to a mountainous heap.
Below are 3 practical tips to tipping the work-life balance into a healthier one –
Take short breaks where you move away from your workstation –
Give your eyes a break. Get up from your desk and stretch your legs. Go outside and soak up some sunlight for two minutes. Take a power nap but as a forewarning – set an alarm so you don’t end up snoozing the entire day away.
Delegate tasks where possible and say no to extra work –
You know what your current workload looks like. If you can see it’s veering in the direction of overload, then simply ask for help. Explain to the boss that you are at full capacity where they will most likely reassign tasks to someone else. Even enquire from colleagues if anybody has room. Your fellow teammates know the pressure of having “too much on your plate”. There may be someone on the team only too happy to pitch in and share the load.
Schedule time for YOU – hobbies, an activity, even just to have another much-needed nap –
Somewhere, somehow, amongst all the “To Dos” you need to carve out a little me-time. One of our Datafin team members who’s the “artsy” one – collects rocks along the shoreline and does these cute paintings on them. I still have mine when she gifted each of us one at a work year-end Christmas party.
Whether it’s cooking or baking, yoga, “Zumbaing” or CrossFit (whichever is your preference). Mine is diving my nose into a true crime novel or going for a run (unfit and all). Some hike, some binge-watch a series or take their pet out for a stroll.
According to personatalent.com, “Personal development is just as important as professional development.”
The site also states that if a company supports this balancing act between the personal and professional lives of their staff, the employees “tend to be more engaged, productive, and loyal.”
“This, in turn, can lead to lower turnover rates, increased job satisfaction, and improved performance. Plus, companies that prioritize work-life balance are often viewed more favorably by potential employees, helping to attract and retain top talent.”
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