Katie Roberts Career Consulting

If you’re unhappy in your job, like truly, truly unhappy bordering on depressed, then sometimes the best (or only) option is to quit, but often that’s just not an option. ’Work-life balance’ is an often used term with a large proportion of our clients citing it as the reason they are searching for a new role. But what exactly is it and can it be realistically achieved?

Many people admit to working more and more hours each week, which can take a toll on health, wellbeing, and overall happiness. Added to this, technology allows us to be connected 24/7, which makes it even more difficult to find that elusive work-life balance. The perfect work-life balance is different for everyone, however, for many people, a better balanced life can be achieved by making some fairly simple changes. Try these general tips to get you started:

TIP # 1 – Decide what’s important. Working less doesn’t mean better work-life balance for everyone. If you are happy with the amount of time you dedicate to each part of your life, you’ve probably achieved your best version of work-life balance. Decide on your priorities and communicate those to superiors, colleagues and family members. Think about what you’d like to do more (or less) of. Work out what you need to focus on and try to eliminate anything that doesn’t contribute to that.

TIP # 2 – Establish working hours. Set boundaries for yourself and others. If you work from home, try to walk away from your office space at a set time every day. If you work outside of the home – try not to take work home unnecessarily. Of course, unplanned events will inevitably occur but trying to finish at the same time each day is a great idea. Likewise, make sure friends and family know not to interrupt you at work unless it’s an emergency. For most people, it would take a huge personal emergency to reschedule something important for work. Give your personal time the same respect and try not to ‘reschedule’ it for a work emergency unless it’s absolutely necessary.

TIP # 3 – Switch off technology. Don’t stay connected to work 24/7. If you’re spending time with your family or partner this is especially important. We need time to focus on personal relationships. Turning off technology for even just short periods of time allows us to give people our undivided attention which goes a long way towards improving work-life balance.

TIP # 4 – Track your time. Not all the time, but try it for a few days (try the Pomodoro technique). Tracking how much time you spend doing certain tasks will help you work out where you can save time. Rethink your approach if you believe that hours worked equates to productivity – just because you work 60-hour weeks doesn’t mean you are productive. Eliminate or delegate some tasks and you will be amazed at how much extra time you gain.

TIP # 5 – Try to schedule ‘time off’. This includes holidays and weekends. At a minimum you should try to schedule two weeks off annually and try not to work consistently on weekends. This doesn’t mean you need to book an expensive holiday. Some of the best holidays I’ve had have been ‘staycations’. Stay at home and enjoy what your local area has to offer. Or try a couple of ‘long weekends’ away throughout the year. We often get so caught up in day-to-day work that we miss all the fun stuff right under our noses. Time off helps you feel refreshed and recharged and will contribute to you achieving your best levels of productivity.

TIP # 6 – Schedule something enjoyable every day. For me that’s exercise most days. If that’s not for you, schedule something else you enjoy doing. It could be a quick walk with the dog or coffee catch up with a friend or colleague, some gardening, cooking, pottering in your workshop, meditation, or reading a book. It could simply be some quiet time to yourself doing nothing – it certainly doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming.

TIP # 7 – Look after yourself. Eating well, getting enough sleep, keeping hydrated and making sure you get enough exercise are all factors that will have a positive impact on your ability to achieve work-life balance. Getting good nutrition and exercise will help you feel happier and achieve higher levels of productivity in the long term.

TIP # 8 – Don’t sit still. Aim to get up from your desk at least every two hours. Try to do it before your concentration wanes and your attention flags. Get up, have a stretch, grab a glass of water, take a quick walk around the block for some fresh air – just do something that gives you a break from working and clears your head for the next task.

TIP # 9 – Create processes and systems. Things that you do repetitively – both at work and at home can be simplified through process. Think about all the tasks you do on a daily basis – do you approach them in an ‘automatic’ way? Think about these repetitive tasks and then work out how you can automate or speed them up (or even just outsource them).

TIP # 10 – Say no! Over-committing is a common issue but completely avoidable. You don’t need to be ‘available’ for work all the time and you don’t have to say YES to every social invitation. Use a calendar to manage commitments (work and social) including scheduling time to work on projects. I like to plan my week on a Sunday evening, making sure I have time to fit in the work I’ve committed to and factoring in some time for me and my family as well as dealing with the day-to-day mundane activities that need attending to. Planning your week but allowing for some free time in your calendar will set you up for success – and enable you to effectively deal with any emergencies. Learning to say NO more often can help you feel more in control.

In today’s ‘always on’ culture, it can be difficult to achieve the perfect work-life balance. Since the ideal mix is different for everyone, working out what you need personally and understanding that you have some control is an important first step. But achieving and maintaining it is not a one off process – it’s a lifelong pursuit. Aspire to what you need right now then work to achieve it, but be sure to review it from time to time to make any necessary changes.

Are you struggling to achieve the balance you desire in your life right now? Would you like help working out if your career goals and aspirations are in alignment with your work-life balance goals? If so see, please see our Career Counselling Services.