Need a better work/ life balance? Use these tips

Image credit: Nicollazzi

Almost every working person feels like there are not enough hours in the day to get things done. From fitting in all of the hours in the day in the workplace to trying to fit all of the home responsibilities and social responsibilities around it, it’s stressful. You need a balance between your career and your home life, but that’s not always easy to do. It’s even worse when you’re working from home, because the lines between work and home life tend to blur. You can set boundaries with people but if you aren't sticking to those boundaries, your work/life balance is going to be torn apart.

Improving your work/life balance should be a priority for you. Whether you are taking short term defence contract jobs or you are working a permanent 9-5 job, you have to know you can unwind and that’ll be that at the end of the day. You have to think about what it will mean for you if you don't have a good balance. If you want to avoid stress, and you want to ensure that you are able to feel like you are putting as much effort into your home life as well as your working life, then balance is a must. Below, we’ve got some of the tips that you need to ensure that life is balanced out.

1. Ask for flexibility. If you are finding it tough to manage kids, doctor’s appointments, general life responsibilities around your job, speak to your boss about making it more flexible. Look at how you can have some time by asking for a hybrid working day, or cutting your hours to four days a week to give you some flexibility. Speak to your boss; if you’re doing a good job anyway, they may be happy to be flexible with it all.

2. Invest in the right technology. You can invest in the best technology in your job and help yourself to work harder and better. If you need extra support and you work for someone else, ask your boss to help you out here and upgrade the tech in the business. This can include software, not just hardware.

3. Make sure that you stick to the boundaries you set. Ah, the hardest part of maintaining that work and life balance: boundaries. If you have put boundaries in place for your work, then make sure that you stick to those ones. You cannot be on 24/7, because you will burn out and you will burn out quickly. You have to set your working hours properly, because once you do you’ll ensure that you have a better balance day to day. This is necessary for your comfort. There is nothing wrong with setting the right boundaries, but you have to stick to them. 

4. Make sure that you don't live your job. Your life is about so much more than the place in which you work. If you have family or friends outside your work - and even if you just want to be alone - put that time in. understanding that you have commitments means making sure that you let your boss know that you are committed in certain ways.

5. Find jobs that allow it. If you want to make sure that you have a good balance between work and life, you need to find a job that accommodates that. You have to remember that if your employer is treating you like they don't care, they really don't care - no exceptions. Finding the right employer is important because if you know that you have one who cares about your balance and your mental health, you will stick with that employer.

6. Make sure that you communicate when you’re struggling. The last thing to remember is that you cannot expect to find that working balance if you don't communicate when you're struggling with it. If you don't tell your employer that you can't manage without more flexibility or balance, you cannot expect that they will give you what you need. 

​You need to find a good balance between your career and your life. Without that balance you are going to struggle and you are going to feel taken for granted. If you don't ensure that you are speaking to someone about this, nothing will change and you will always be stuck. You have to use these tips to help you to get the balance you needed all along and you have to trust that you can find it!