10 top tips to finding a healthy work / life balance - how to reduce stress and find happiness

Getting a healthy work/life balance

Almost half of UK managers work an extra day of unpaid overtime per weeka recent study* into working practices has suggested. With over 90% of managers working beyond the traditional 9 – 5, the lines between home and work are looking increasingly blurred.

However busy you are, it’s important to get a work/life balance that suits you. Millions of working days are lost each year due to stress-related illness, so it’s really important you look after your own wellbeing.

Read our top ten tips to finding the right work/life balance for you.

Know yourself

W e ’ r e a l l d iff erent a n d i t ’ s a l l a b o u t f i n d i n g t h e r i g h t b a l a n c e f o r y o u . S o m e

o f u s t h r i v e o n cha l lenge , s o m e o f u s d o n ’ t .

Pa y a t t e n t i o n t o y o u r o w n n e e d s a n d w e l l b e i n g , a n d p l a y t o y o u r s t re n g t h s .

S o , i f y o u ’ r e a l a r k , t a c k l e t h e t o u g h j o b s e a r l y i n t h e d a y w h e n y o u ’ r e a t y o u r m o s t p ro d u c t i v e. I f y o u ’ r e a n o w l , t h e n u s e t h e f i r s t h o u r o r t w o t o d o n e c e s s a r y

b u t u n d e m a n d i n g t a s k s .

Choose ‘good enough’ ov e r s o m e t h i n g p e r f e c t .

I f i t n e e d s t o b e d o n e , i t o f t e n j u s t n e e d s t o b e d o n e

w e l l , n o t p e r f e c t l y .

Y o u ’ l l b e f a r m o r e e ff e c t i v e a t w o r k i f y o u g e t l o t s o f t h i n g s d o n e w e l l , r a t h e r t h a n o n e o r t w o p e r f e c t l y .

L i k e w i s e i f y o u de legate a t a s k , i f i t ’ s d o n e w e l l , s a y t h a n k y o u a n d m o v e o n .

D o n ’ t w a s t e t i m e w o r r y i n g a b o u t h o w y o u m i g h t h a v e d o n e i t t h a t l i t t l e b i t b e t t e r .

Make a To Do list

W h e t h e r y o u u s e a c l a s s i c n o t e p a d a n d p e n o r a c o m p l e x p r o j e c t p l a n , m a k e s u r e y o u k n o w w h i c h p r o j e c t s y o u ’ r e w o r k i n g o n a n d w h a t n e e d s t o b e d o n e .

Po o r o rg a n i s a t i o n a l s k i l l s c a n m e a n y o u w a s t e w o r k t i m e , w h i c h e a t s i n t o y o u r e v e n i n g .

F o r m a n y p e o p l e t h e s i m p l e p r o c e s s o f c ro s s i n g t h i n g s o ff o n a l i s t o n c e t h e y ’ r e c o m p l e t e h e l p s t h e m r e a l i s e t h e i r a c h i e v e m e n t s e a c h d a y . W h e n y o u ’ v e f i n i s h e d y o u r To D o l i s t f o r t h e d a y i t ’ s t i m e t o s t o p w o r k i n g .

Ask for help.

D o n ’ t b e a m a r t y r ; i f

y o u n e e d h e l p t h e n a s k f o r i t .

R e c o g n i s e t h a t a s k i n g f o r h e l p i s b o t h n e c e s s a r y a n d s e n s i b l e s o m e t i m e s .

T a l k t o y o u r Head of Department or Manager , a n d t h e s o o n e r , t h e b e t t e r .

Always stop for meals

H o w e v e r b u s y y o u a r e , m a ke t i m e t o e a t . S k i p p i n g m e a l s w i l l o n l y m a k e y o u l e s s p ro d u c t i v e .

I f y o u ’ r e w o r k i n g a t h o m e i n t h e e v e n i n g s e t a s i d e s o m e t i m e t o e a t , w h e t h e r i t ’ s w i t h y o u r f a m i l y o r a l o n e .

I f y o u w a n t t o p e r f o r m a t y o u r b e s t m e n t a l l y , y o u n e e d t o look after yourself , a n d eating healthy r e g u l a r m e a l s i s v i t a l .

Say no.

O b v i o u s l y y o u d o n ’ t w a n t t o s a y n o a l l t h e t i m e , b u t i f y o u ’ r e a l r e a d y

o v e r l o a d e d h a v e t h e c o n fi d e n c e t o e x p l a i n y o u c a n ’ t t a k e o n a n o t h e r p r o j e c t r i g h t n o w .

T a k i n g o n y e t a n o t h e r t r i c k y p r o j e c t

w h e n y o u ’ r e a l r e a d y s t r u g g l i n g j u s t i s n ’ t s e n s i b l e .

I f y o u r e a l l y w a n t t o s a y y e s t o a n e x t r a r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o r p r o j e c t , s e e i f y o u c a n d e l e g a t e o r g e t r i d o f a n o t h e r t a s k t o f r e e u p t i m e .

Do something for yourself

A t l e a s t o n c e a w e e k d o s o m e t h i n g f o r y o u r s e l f t h a t y o u ’ l l l o o k f o r w a r d t o a n d e n j o y .

R e m e m b e r t h i s i s f o r y o u – n o t f o r w o r k , n o t f o r y o u r p a r t n e r a n d n o t f o r y o u r f a m i l y . W h e t h e r i t ’ s a S p a n i s h c o n v e r s a t i o n c l a s s o r r e a d i n g a

t r a s h y n o v e l i n t h e b a t h f o r t h e h o u r , t a ke t i m e o u t f o r y o u .

D o n ’ t c h e c k y o u r e m a i l s , a n d s c r e e n a l l i n c o m i n g c a l l s – o n l y r i n g b a c k i f t h e r e ’ s a n e m e r g e n c y m e s s a g e o n y o u r v o i c e m a i l . I f y o u

d o n ’ t c a r v e o u t s p a c e f o r y o u , i t w o n ’ t h a p p e n .

Outsource

D o n ’ t b e a f r a i d t o o u t s o u rc e w o r k t o a n a g e n c y i f y o u n e e d t o .T h e r e a r e o n l y s o m a n y h o u r s i n t h e d a y , a n d t h e y ’ r e n o t

a l l f o r w o r k i n g .

I f y o u r w o r k l o a d i s s i m p l y u n m a n a g e a b l e , t h e n l o o k a t

o u t s o u rc i n g e l e m e n t s o r b u y i n g i n a d d i t i o n a l h e l p . P u t

t o g e t h e r a b u s i n e s s c a s e a s t o w h y y o u n e e d t o o u t s o u r c e ,

a n d a l w a y s g e t a t l e a s t t h re e q u o t e s .

Use technology

S o m e t i m e s y o u n e e d t o a t t e n d a m e e t i n g o r e v e n t i n p e r s o n . S o m e t i m e s y o u d o n ’ t .

U s e w e b i n a r s , c o n f e re n c e c a l l s a n d S ky p e t o

re d u c e y o u r t r a v e l l i n g t i m e .

I f y o u d o h a v e t o t r a v e l , t h i n k a b o u t u s i n g t h e

t r a i n r a t h e r t h a n t h e c a r . T h i s w i l l f re e u p t i m e t o w o r k o n y o u r l a p t o p . O r y o u c a n s w i t c h o ff f r o m w o r k f o r a w h i l e a n d r e a d t h e p a p e r , o r c a l l t h a t f r i e n d y o u ’ v e b e e n m e a n i n g t o c a t c h u p w i t h .

Unplug and switch off.

B u i l d u n i n t e r r u p t e d t h i n k i n g i n t o y o u r d a y , a w a y f r o m t e c h n o l o g y .

W h e t h e r i t ’ s w a l k i n g t o w o r k o r r e a d i n g o n t h e t u b e , t a k e t i m e o u t t o u n p l u g a n d s w i t c h o ff .

O u r b r a i n s n e e d a b i t o f r e s p i t e i n o r d e r t o c o m e u p w i t h a l l t h o s e c r e a t i v e a n d i n n o v a t i v e i d e a s a n d s o l u t i o n s . A n d w o r k p h o n e s h a v e n o p l a c e i n t h e b e d r o o m .

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*Research from Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).