National Work Life Week starts on October 10th 2022, I have recently been looking at how both employers and employees can focus on well-being at work. This has been a hot topic for many years now, and certainly hasn’t lost it’s buzz. There has been more and more pressure on employers to give a flexible working environment to their employees, and for many larger companies to create departments for work life balance advice. 

Creating a work life balance is something that everyone strives for, but it is easier said than done, especially with the cost of living crisis, and the state of the UK economy, some families are feeling the pressure and concerned about their jobs and their futures.

Here are 5 work life balance tips

1. Be mindful with your time. 

Make sure you are dividing your time up to what matters to you. Time management and structure is really important, and be present and in the moment. When you are at work, focus… when you are with your family, make sure you are spending quality focussed time, and don’t forget to do something for yourself. If you enjoy the gym, schedule this into your day, which leads me on to our next tip.

2. Negotiate with your employer, or design your work life to suit your needs.

Most employers nowadays are adopting Work Life balance methods, especially the forward thinking companies. Looking after their teams wellbeing, and giving employees more of a hybrid working week, maybe 2 days from home and 3 days in the office, is ultimately helping companies to save money, and employees to save time if they were commuting to and from work. 

3. Block out distractions while working, and be present in the moment.

Some people think working long hours is important for career advancement, or technology will give us more leisure time and make us more efficient. These are certainly 2 work life balance myths. By working long hours, you will burn yourself out, and in some cases, make a rod for your own back. Be mindful of this. Career advancement is more about learning, and developing your field of expertise. Technology, although it has it’s major plus points, can also eat time! A great book I have recently read about technology, is Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. I would highly reccomend it. Stay focussed and be present in the moment.

4. Make to do lists, and plan your days

We have all been guilty of putting so much more on our daily to do list than we can manage. Think about how long tasks will take, and again, make sure you split your day between, you, your work and your family. You will be much more productive on a daily basis if you don’t try to cram it all in. Create yourself a time management matrix, prioritise your tasks into urgent, and non urgent. Important and not important. 

5. Learn how to delegate

Delegation is certainly an art, and something to practice. Clearly define the desired outcome, provide the correct recourses, know what tasks to delegate to the right person. Communication if key to this, you can’t do all the tasks all the time! 

As I said at the start, getting that work life balance isn’t easy, and sometimes the scales will tip in the wrong direction. Make sure you are looking after your own well-being, create efficiency in your work, and make sure you are taking time out for yourself. 

I hope you have found these work life balance tips useful!