The Importance of Achieving a Work/Life Balance

From productivity to peace of mind to happiness, there are many reasons it is important to achieve and maintain a balance between work and life. As doctors and scientists learn more about how stress affects our lives and our health, it is becoming more and more obvious that achieving this balance is just as much about our health as it is about successful and efficient workplaces.

The Curse/Blessing of Modern Technology

While modern technological advances have helped increase productivity and effectiveness, it seems to have had negative impacts on creating that necessary balance. For many business people, the blessing of technology has allowed them to move the workplace out of the traditional office space and into the home. Millions of people work a majority of their time out of their home blurring the distinction between work time and family time. In turn, this makes it even more important to be able to find that work/life balance. So how do we maintain that balance between work and life no matter where we work?

1. Find ways to bring work and life together – This can mean finding ways to bring life experiences into the workplace or bringing work experiences into life. For example, when traveling for pleasure, take a moment to explore an area and learn something about it that will benefit your job. Likewise, if you are traveling for business, make sure you take some time to enjoy some personal time for yourself as well.
2. Create defined times for work/life and stick to them – This can be especially difficult when working from home however, the most successful people are those who have established boundaries and stick to them. Keep your business hours and your business space separate from your home life and you are much more likely to achieve this balance.
3. Delegate to succeed – Take advantage of the knowledge and skills of others and delegate some of your chores to be able to find some extra time to relax. For many people trying to strike this balance, the biggest issue isn’t a lack of desire to relax but is simply a lack of time. By allowing someone to assist you with aspects of life/work such as picking up your dry-cleaning or even compiling information for a spreadsheet, you can find precious moments which may have otherwise been lost.

Do you live to work or work to live or have you already gained your life/work balance? Does your employer offer you opportunities to help balance your work/life by being flexible, offering paid time off or hosting family oriented get-togethers? If you feel your life is balanced, how did you achieve a balance between your job and your family? We would love to hear what’s worked for you in the comments below.