Creating a Healthy Work and Life Balance 101
Establishing a healthy balance between your professional and home life balance has never been more important. In recent years, it feels as though many working professionals are feeling the pressure to put in more working hours than ever before. Many factors have an impact on our motivation to work more, from establishing wealth and paying down debts, to purchasing a home and everything in between.
While your professional career is exceptionally important, especially in this day and age, your mental health, spending time with family and enjoying your life is more important. For these reasons and so many more, is why it is critical to establish a healthy work and life balance.
In this article, we discuss the importance of maintaining a healthy balance, setting boundaries in your professional life and living a happier lifestyle.
The Importance of a Healthy Balance
Maintaining a healthy balance is key in many aspects of your life. From family and relationships, to hobbies, health and everything in between. This, of course, includes your professional life.
Establishing a healthy balance between your work life and personal life can result in many benefits to you, your employer and those around you. Not only will you most likely find yourself feeling more rested, happy and balanced, but those around you can also benefit from a happier and healthier you!
You will have more time to spend time with your loved ones, where you are present and not distracted by work. In fact, even your employer and place of work can benefit! As you are more likely to be alert, focused and committed to the task at hand.
In summary, creating a healthy balance between your work and home life can act as a great benefit to you, as well as those around you.
Setting Boundaries in Your Professional Life
At Omorphi Aesthetics, we believe that setting boundaries in your professional life is the key to establishing a healthy balance. As you uphold these boundaries, the more likely others around you are to adhere to and respect them. Including, your employer, superiors and colleagues.
Boundaries you may want to set in place can include:
1. Working Hours
Does your place of work have “working hours” set in place? In this scenario, the boundary has already been established. It’s up to you to uphold this boundary, ensuring that you are not in communication with superiors and colleagues during this time, nor are you actively working.
This can help to prevent your colleagues and superiors from contacting you outside of working hours for work-related inquiries. Not only that, it can help to prevent you from bringing work home.
2. Taking Breaks
While it’s understandable that we all may need to skip a break or take a working lunch break from time to time, this should never become the standard. Be sure to take the breaks that are owed to you, including lunch breaks and shorter breaks as well.
Your breaks provide you with an opportunity to rest, recharge and refuel!
3. Vacation Time
Do you have paid vacation time at your place of employment? Use it!
Check in with your vacation time throughout the year and ensure that you are scheduling time away with more than enough time in advance. You may want to work with your superiors and colleagues to ensure that all of your work is covered while you are away on vacation.
Not only will this help you to really enjoy your time away, but it will also reduce the risk of your place of employment denying your paid time off.
4. Personal Days
Personal days are very important.
Also known as sick days or mental health days, personal days provide you with an opportunity to rest and recharge when you are not feeling your best. Rather than overworking yourself when you aren’t feeling well, mentally or physically, be sure to allow yourself a well-deserved break.
5. Separating Your Personal Life
One of the most basic of ways to ensure a healthy work and life balance, is by leaving your home life at home. While it can be beneficial to create relationships with those in your workplace, there is something to be said about boundaries when sharing information.
6. Communication
Above all, the best way to establish a healthy balance between your home and work life is communication. Simply communicating your boundaries with colleagues and superiors can help to ensure that they are respected and upheld. Of course, this communication should always be executed in a professional, personable and respectful manner.
Living a Stress-Free Lifestyle
There you have it! Once the right boundaries have been established, it’s only a matter of time until a healthy approach to work and life balance contributes toward a more stress-free lifestyle.
Of course, there will always be stress in many of our lives. With a dedicated approach, you can most definitely help to establish a standard of living and commit your free time to yourself, your family and your health.
