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What is Work-Life Balance?

Each person has their own definition of an ideal work-life balance, but what does work-life balance even mean in the first place, and why is it so important? Work-life balance, as defined by Gartner, is the ability of an employee to manage both personal and professional responsibilities while setting aside adequate time for rest and leisure. The details will vary from person to person.

Why is Work-Life Balance important?

A study was done by Microsoft in 2022 on the top 5 reasons employees quit. The top 2 reasons, with each making up 24% of responses given, are personal wellbeing and work-life balance. Both of these reasons are more common than the reason of not receiving promotions or raises which only comes in at 19%. Without a good work-life balance, an employee’s personal well-being will end up being affected in the long run. Therefore work-life balance, actually be it directly or indirectly, is the top reason for employees quitting.

How to Achieve Proper Work-Life Balance?

Now that the importance of having a proper work-life balance is understood, how can one go about achieving that? These tips from Business News Daily will hopefully help you in your journey to finally achieving proper balance.

1. The “Perfect” Work-Life Balance Is A Myth

The goal should be to achieve a proper work-life balance, not a perfect one. In a perfect world, employees would have all the time they want to relax while still having a fulfilling and satisfactory career life, but that is just not realistic. Having a realistic and flexible schedule will help you to achieve the proper balance required. If it is a busy time at the office and projects are being rushed out, it makes sense to put more effort into work while sacrificing some leisure time. Likewise, quieter times should allow you to spend more time with your loved ones or your hobbies.

2. Your Job Should Not Feel Like A Chore

If you find yourself struggling to get out of bed every day to go to your job, then your current job might not be the best for you. There should be at least one aspect of your job that makes you want to do it. Your job does not need to be all fun and you do not need to love every aspect of it, but if you hate it, then it’s going to be very hard to find balance.

3. Your Health Is No Less Important Than Your Career

Staying healthy should be your number one priority, be it physically, emotionally or mentally. Call in sick if you really are sick and don’t be afraid to prioritise your health over work. Overworking will affect your health in the long run, resulting in you not being able to work in the future, so ensure that you remain healthy.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Unwind

Time outside of work should be used for things not related to it. If you find yourself still worrying or even answering calls and messages outside of work, this could lead to you not getting the necessary rest before you begin work again. Ensuring that you are unwinding during the times outside of work will lead you to be even more energised and productive during work.

5. Your Loved Ones Come First

Work will never be more important than your loved ones. At the end of the day, a job is just a job while your loved ones should be one of the most important things in your life. Jobs can come and go, so you should treasure the time you can spend with your loved ones rather than your job.

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