Most millennials would likely roll their eyes at the traditional definition of work/life balance; yet this outdated view can be detrimental for employees and their families.
Cluttered workspaces lead to burnout and decreased productivity, so to foster a positive work culture encourage regular breaks for your team members and let them figure out their ideal balance each day.
1. Prioritize Your Health
Keeping yourself fit can be hard when your workday involves long hours in an office environment, so making time for fitness should always be prioritized. A regular fitness regimen helps combat stress while releasing endorphins to boost mood. Consider creating an employee wellness program like an on-site yoga class or monthly outings to exercise with colleagues.
Allowing your employees to select their working hours is an excellent way of showing that you care for their wellbeing. Make sure they don’t feel obliged to answer emails outside their scheduled working hours by setting up a right to disconnect policy, and encourage managers to set an exemplary example by leaving on time and taking advantage of any available vacation days or paid leave.
2. Prioritize Your Relationships
Spend quality time with those closest to you – your spouse, children and friends alike. Doing this can help prevent work becoming the sole focus of your attention.
If your work always comes first, this should be a telltale sign that something needs to change – whether that means setting aside more time for relationships or simply changing how you spend weekends. Committing to regular date nights could help.
Employers that empower their employees to create a healthy work/life balance reap the rewards in terms of lower absenteeism rates, increased productivity and employee satisfaction. Offering flexible hours, encouraging use of PTO days, or offering volunteering opportunities can all help your team feel fulfilled outside the office and bring out their best work once back at work.
3. Prioritize Your Spirituality
Spirituality is about finding meaning and purpose in life, and can help bring more balance. Spiritual practices range from time spent in nature to meditation or prayer – find one that resonates with you and make it part of your daily routine.
As part of your professional responsibility, it’s also essential to prioritize spirituality at work by finding ways to recharge throughout the day. For example, office workers could try setting aside five minutes during lunch to reflect upon and focus on spiritual matters.
Connecting with coworkers who share similar spiritual beliefs and values can also help you feel more grounded and content at work, as well as help create an optimal work/life balance.
4. Prioritize Your Fitness
Poor work/life balance often arises from not setting boundaries between their professional and personal lives, leading to mental stress that then manifests into physical ailments like anxiety and depression, as well as high blood pressure.
As long as your priorities are set properly and work requests can be put aside, prioritizing health can still feel productive at work. Use the Eisenhower Matrix to determine which tasks are truly urgent and essential.
Employers should implement workplace wellness programs such as yoga classes, fitness challenges, sleep coaching and nutrition coaching to assist employees in leading healthy lifestyles at both work and at home. This will foster an environment in which employees can thrive that promotes productivity, happiness and fulfillment for all employees involved.
5. Prioritize Your Finances
Financial considerations are of vital importance when it comes to striking a work-life balance, making it harder to enjoy life outside of work if bills remain outstanding. To prevent this from occurring, identify your priorities. Having an understanding of both personal and professional goals can help set realistic short-term and long-term priorities.
Apart from your essential expenses, be sure to prioritize food budget. In order to cut unnecessary expenses each month and save more for retirement or vacation savings. Doing this will give you peace of mind knowing you are planning for tomorrow while working hard today.