In our busy and bustling world, it can be easy to get caught up in negative work patterns… I’m sure you know the ones! These are the patterns where you’re working to make money, making money to pay bills and paying bills just so you can manage to keep working.
Unfortunately, as our humble world speeds up, these work patterns are becoming far too common, impacting our mental health as time for sociable and fun activities seems non-existent.
This begs the question; how do we end this trend? How can we improve work-life balance?
What Is a Positive Work-Life Balance?
Having a healthy work-life balance can mean something different for everyone. For some, it may involve not having to worry about work outside of the normal working hours, others might see it as being able to socialise whilst still achieving career success. However, no matter how you look at it, there is a general rule of thumb. Having a healthy work-life balance means you are happy to both go to work and come home.
How To Improve Your Work-Life Balance
Tip 1: Enjoy Your Work
Believe it or not, an integral part in improving work-life balance is actually enjoying your work. Enjoying a job, essay or project really helps our mindset. Being happy while working enables us to have better moods when we are given spare time. Consequently, we approach these periods with optimism, ready to use them to their fullest potential. If you are not enjoying your work, aim to appreciate the little things like how projects are improving your skills, your positive colleague relationships or the opportunities the work offers you.
Tip 2: Prioritise Your Happiness
What makes you happy? This is something you must ask yourself if you are looking to improve your work-life balance. Prioritising hobbies and interests improves your mental wellbeing, as you feel more fulfilled from completing certain activities. Having strong wellbeing means you are likely to be productive when working, which consequently increases your opportunities for relaxation time as goals are accomplished faster.
Tip 3: Ask For Help
Sometimes when you feel overwhelmed by work, all it takes to restore happiness and improve your work-life balance is asking for help. Many office cultures are now emphasising employee wellbeing to improve mental health and workplace culture, which influences productivity. Likewise, universities are more conscious of student welfare than ever, offering a range of counselling and academic support services. Asking for help is incredibly important when struggling with a big work-load, as well as having opportunities and safe spaces to vent and sort out potentially stressful thoughts to clear your mind. Having a clearer mindset empowers you to understand why you are feeling overloaded, and this allows you to increase your personal time by approaching work more efficiently.
Work can often feel burdensome and tiring, however, it doesn’t always have to be. By following these tips, you can improve your mental wellbeing, increase your personal time and ultimately enhance your work-life balance.