Work-life balance gives you the ability to maintain symmetry among the people and activities that demand your time. It’s like juggling. You’ve got three objects (or more for some) and one or more things can be up in the air, while one is resting in your hand. Achieving equilibrium between a career and a personal life may seem hard to do, because for some, their career is their life. Career traffic control professionals will tell you that when construction season is in full swing, jobs are plentiful and it’s important to grab the work hours when they’re available. Many of our clients are under pressure to complete jobs according to tight deadlines and within a specific budget. As the traffic control professionals keeping our clients safe, we too take on those pressures to meet their needs.
While dedication to work and padding the wallet drives many of us to keep performing at our best every day, we need to consistently commit to “unwind,” “loaf,” or “kick back.” Finding fulfillment in places and people outside of work is good for mental and physical health. Below are some popular ways that may help guide you to a healthy work-life balance. Which of these works best for you?
Controlling the Work-Life Balance
- Ask for help when you need it: Taking on too much or trying to “go it alone” is unsafe and unproductive. Reach out to those you trust for assistance or advice.
- Live by to-do lists: Using tools like to-do lists will help you keep track of everyday tasks and frees your mind to concentrate on other things, like studying for the ACL class or making sure your kids have everything ready for their class project.
- Prioritize what’s important: Make lists to decide the things you must get done. Once taken care of, you’ll feel accomplished and use your time for something else.
- Put down your phone: Lots of studies tell us that we need to put down our mobile devices. There’s even a new acronym for it—JOMO, or the Joy Of Missing Out.
- Eat a healthy diet: Foods rich in vitamins and minerals nourish the body and mind. Some are shown to improve focus and help boost emotional states.
- Do volunteer work: Giving back to others without expecting anything in return is a trick to improve wellbeing as old
as time. - Vent: Let it out. Find a confidant, friend, or have a supportive network where it’s safe to let it out. This allows you to process your feelings.
- Don’t give out your personal number: Keep a healthy separation from work by protecting your mobile number.
- Wake up early: Sure, maybe you’re not a morning person, but getting out of bed early gives you that extra “me time.”
- Get a hobby: Hobbies offer many benefits, like meeting new people and learning new skills.
- Get sleep: We need more than 5 hours of sleep. Don’t make up for gaps in your work-life balance by stealing time away
from sleep. - Make family a priority: Give your family uninterrupted attention. We show our worth on the job, but it’s just as important to work on our relationships. Family will stick with us long after the job is done.
Work-Life Data
A group of researchers studied 185 million working hours in 2018 and found compelling information about American working habits. Check out some highlights on the science of work-life below.
Tips to De-Stress
As it happens, the things experts recommend we do to “chill out” are very similar to items on the ‘Controlling the Work-Life Balance’ list. Coincidence? We don’t think so. Achieving accomplishments at work and engaging with family, friends, and communities can be challenging in today’s modern era. Employees and employers need to work together on practices and processes that allow for fulfillment in both. When out of sync, stress may result. Follow your instincts and best practices to reduce stress. Set boundaries to avoid neglecting the parts of your life that happen outside of work. Engage in good activities that lower anxiety levels.
For additional references, check out our article sources:
Rescue Time Blog | Small Business Trends | Statista
