If you’re finding your days are starting to grind on you, you can’t seem to catch up and life is just a never-ending to do list, you’re not alone.
According to a February 2014 study by Vels University in India, titled A conceptual study on impact of stress on work-life balance, “The pressure of increasingly demanding work… is perhaps the biggest and most pressing challenge to the mental health of employees.” I don’t think this is relevant only to India. It’s of huge importance around the world and here in Australia too.
The fact is that if one aspect of life begins to unravel, the rest will be unbalanced too.
You and I know it well – if we’re unhappy at work, it’s hard to be happy during our free hours. Similarly, if we’re having a hard time at home it tends to leak into how we feel all of the time. If our health is out of whack, or our relationships are suffering, this will impact every aspect of life. As such, it’s really important to maintain some sort of equilibrium – at least most of the time.
The challenges of having work/life balance
There are many challenges to maintaining balance – far too many to list here. Some of the main hurdles include long commutes to and from work, heavy workloads and long hours, being unable to switch off from work, and being connected via technology 24/7. I’ve experienced all of the above, so I know how you feel if you’re going through it.
In some jobs, there is pressure to work really long hours and that’s fine – if it works for you. Our work is inseparable from the rest of our lives but I don’t think this necessarily means we can’t have balance. As long as you love what you’re doing and you’re able to maintain the other key areas of your life, including your relationships and your health and wellbeing, then I believe that long hours don’t necessarily need to be a hurdle. A managing director of a large organisation would find it pretty hard to work 9-5 every day then just switch off. It’s simply not realistic. However, that doesn’t mean that the same person doesn’t have balance in their lives. It just means that they’ve integrated work well and most likely, they love what they’re doing enough to incorporate it into their regular regime for wellbeing.
How you can create a better balance in your life, and happier work days
I’d like to pose a question that I really wish I’d thought about more before I started my career. Something I didn’t give a whole lot of emphasis to, but is key to having a happy life. Before you embark on a new job or career path, ask yourself: Does this type of work fit in with how I want my lifestyle to look? Work is a huge part of life, but it’s not everything so you should never expect it to be. If you are happy to focus mainly on your work and supplement it with short bursts of other activities that will create a good balance for you, then go for it with the long-hours career path. If you’re someone who relishes having as much free time as possible to pursue other creative interests, focus on your health and wellbeing, or simply spend time with friends, a job with long hours may not be for you. To this point, it’s always a good idea to ensure that your work will fit in with your idea of a happy life. If you’re just focusing on the pay check, you’re bound to hit hurdles.
There’s of course other aspects to consider – you may need to build your career with long hours before you can scale back after a few years, or there may be some strands of your field that operate differently to others. Really consider this element of your life though – it’s much harder to start again than it is to go in to your career path prepared. I certainly didn’t go in with enough preparation for this early on in my career!
Streamline your work days and focus on what matters
Regardless of where you’re at – whether you’re in the right job for you or not, there’s plenty you can do to create happier work days for yourself. Below are some of my favourites.
- Get organised. Write the next day’s to-do list at the end of every day. You’ll save yourself plenty of worry about what you have coming up, so it’s easier to switch off, and you’re in a better position to prioritise. Keep your inbox as uncluttered as possible for peace of mind and check your calendar at the start of each day so you’re prepared for the meetings you have coming up.
- Focus on the output – not the hours. Make sure you’re celebrating the overall outputs you’re achieving – they can get lost in the day-to-day. Equally, most of us have set hours but someone working 12-hour days can be as productive as someone working eight – it just depends on how you go about it. Some jobs need longer hours but if yours doesn’t, don’t put emphasis on time when you don’t have to. Spend that time creating balance in other areas of your life because it’s just as important.
- Give happy energy to get the same back. Energy bounces off people in the workplace. If you’ve worked in a stressful environment, you’ll know how highly strung it can make everyone feel when someone is particularly frazzled. Put out your own calm energy and happy vibes to lift the mood for the rest of the team and create overall better feelings for everyone.
How do you make your work days happier?