A Work – Life Balance, Can It Really Be Achieved?

Hillary Clinton once said “Don’t confuse having a career with having a life,” and she couldn’t be more right. It’s becoming increasingly important to have a balance between work and leading a normal life especially as technology intrudes more and more.  Government guidelines state you can’t work more than 48 hours a week on average, but employees are exceeding these timings more frequently.

To ease the challenge of turning off at the end of the day we’ve put together some tips to help achieve that desired work-life balance.

Unplug

Having emails on your phones makes it easier for work to follow you home. Unless you have a job that requires you to have flexibility with your work life, turn your phone off as soon as you get home. Remember that it’s not a necessity to check your emails 24/7. Furthermore, research shows that if you look at your phone last thing at night, your sleep is severely disrupted. The light given off prevents the release of melatonin which is responsible for letting your brain know that its bed time. Step away from the temptation by unplugging completely. Closure is a necessity.

Lots of sleep

When you’ve had a busy day, the worst thing you can do is have zero sleep. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep so you can re-energize after work. You should not compromise feeling rested with not being able to switch off. Don’t be that person who works more and sleeps less.

Get out the house

In order to ensure that work doesn’t become your life, you need to start doing things outside of 9-5. Whether it’s just leaving your house for a quick walk, exercising or meeting up with friends, doing something in the evening will make you feel more satisfied with the day.  Tick those things off and visit places that you’ve always wanted to visit. Your life shouldn’t be defined by what you achieve in work but by what you do outside.

Exercise

It’s a well-known fact that exercise relieves stress by releasing ‘feel good’ hormones. Keeping active will help you un-wind and take your mind off all those worries. Even better, keeping fit during the day will help you achieve that good night’s sleep. If you don’t fancy doing high intensity exercise every day, why not try yoga? Dedicating even just 10 minutes a day to yourself will make a huge difference to how you feel.

So make sure you follow these steps, as they will all lead you to having a more productive life outside of work.

** You can also check out this blog on the SecsintheCity website – http://www.secsinthecity.co.uk/article/a-work-life-balance-can-it-really-be-achieved-/ **