Flexible working arrangements have made it possible for individuals to achieve a work life balance more than ever before. Many employees may have found it difficult to balance work and life in the office because of time spent away from families or can’t do personal activities. But lines can also blur while working from home because of distractions and possible extended hours. However, a work-life balance is still doable in any scenario. Learn more below about why a work life balance is important.
What is Work-Life Balance?
Let’s face it when it comes to work-life balance, the scales tip on work on most days and personal life on some others. But a work-life balance means you learn how to prioritize your professional life with your personal life.
Why is Work Life Balance Important?
1. Reduced Burnout
The American Psychological Association (APA) conducted a survey reaching out to 1,501 workers. More than ever, employees have felt less motivated and energetic and more exhausted. These have been linked as symptoms of burnout as well. And it’s important that employees recognize this before it gets worse. Once they know they might feel this way, they can get ahead of it by taking leave at work or talking to their manager or a professional regarding their situation. In turn, they might find ways like hobbies to prevent further burnout from happening.
2. Be More Engaged At Work
It’s always good to take breaks at work. The weekend may not be adequate, and that’s why many would take vacations. Breaks give your mind some rest from thinking about your day-to-day tasks. And when you give your mind a well-deserved break, you can come back to work feeling energized and motivated to work on your tasks. You can also feel more focused and become more efficient at work.
3. More Time to Focus on Your Mental Health
Once you understand that you can balance your professional and personal life, set aside some time to work on your mental health during your personal time or downtime. What activities have you been putting off to improve your mental well-being while you’re working or busy with your projects?
4. Care for Your Physical Health and Well-Being
Your mental health will not only benefit from a work-life balance. You can also see improvements in your physical well-being, that is, of course, if you work out regularly. Aside from fitness, you may prevent serious illnesses if you learn to manage your stress, take breaks, eat healthily, and exercise regularly.
5. Better Relationships with Loved Ones
When we dedicate more time to work, we may neglect to spend time with people. And if we don’t socialize enough or talk to our loved ones regularly, we could end up feeling lonely. That’s why work life balance is important. You need to spend some time with people you love from time to time. It will boost your mood. And you can feel happy hanging out with them.
6. Opens Time for Hobbies and Activities
Hobbies are a way to keep yourself occupied during the weekends, your downtime, or on vacation. If you manage your personal and professional life, you can work on your hobbies. Recreational activities can help you master other skills, and you can use that to destress from work.
7. Set Better Boundaries
If you do other activities outside of work, you might want to spend time on your hobbies or nurture your relationships. And that’s a good thing. However, you can distance yourself from hobbies or socializing if it gets too much. You can set boundaries and return to those activities once you’re ready to do them again.
Meanwhile, saying no is one way you can set boundaries for work. And it’s one reason why work life balance is important. Remember even if you’re working from home doesn’t mean you’re available 24/7, and you want to ensure that you have enough time for yourself after any workday or on the weekends.
8. Become More Present
Several individuals have reported that regular mindfulness practice has been helpful to their mental health and managing their day-to-day lives. If you practice mindfulness every day, you can become focused and stay in the present moment in your professional and personal lives. You can become more mindful by meditating daily, even for a few minutes.
9. Feel Happier and Enjoy What You Do
When you manage your personal and professional life, you can find enjoyment in your day-to-day activities. For example, at work, you might spread a little bit of positivity and joy to your co-workers or employees, especially if you take steps to manage your work and personal life. Meanwhile, in your personal life, you can enjoy the little things during your leaves or breaks. Perhaps, you can find happiness while spending time with your friends or family.
10. Creates Opportunities to Better Oneself
Aside from doing hobbies during your downtime, why not find the time to improve yourself for both your personal and professional life. For example, in your downtime, why not try learning a language or broaden your knowledge about your chosen career field. Or you can hone a skill you might have picked up before. So, if you have impressive skills you can show off at work, you can use that as an advantage to get ahead in your career.
11. Fewer Absences at Work
It’s necessary to take breaks at work. It could have a long-term positive effect on your overall well-being. That said, if you take breaks instead of pushing yourself too hard at work, you will be physically present at work even more. You won’t have to use your leaves ever so often, especially if you take care of yourself.
12. Solve More Problems and Become More Creative at Work
I’ve talked about doing personal activities and honing skills. And if you keep yourself busy during your breaks or down time, you may acquire proficiencies you can show off at work. Having hobbies can help turn the gears in your mind to think about solutions or creative ideas you can present to your managers during meetings.
Final Thoughts
Work life balance is important for your overall well-being and engagement with work. It takes time to learn how to prioritize your personal and professional life, especially if you’re leaning towards one of those aspects. But it’s possible to do this by setting boundaries and knowing what you want to do outside of work AND how you can make your professional life manageable daily.
