Life Balance Tips You Can Use Right Now

7 Work/Life Balance Tips You Can Use Right Now 7 Work/Life Balance Tips You Can Use Right NowPosted June 10, 2016, by Vivien Luu The stats are in, and its not pretty. When it comes to work/life balance, we Aussies are failing. Miserably. If lunch is usually a 10-minute affair at your desk, if youre scrolling through work emails long after youve clocked off, and the idea of leaving on time is simply laughable, sadly youre part of the majority of Aussies who are feeling overstretched at work. According to a paper by The Australian Institute, Australias poor work/life balance is robbing us of approximately $128 billion in unpaid overtime each year Unsurprisingly, two thirds of Aussies feel that their current work hours are negatively affecting their health, wellbeing and relationships. Were spending far too much time chasing deadlines, finishing overdue projects and replying to urgent emails when we could be sitting down to a family meal, catching up with friends and having weekends fil led with sleep-ins and lazy Sunday brunches. Yes there are bills to pay, mouths to feed and ambitions to satisfy but should it ever be at the expense of your health, or time spent with loved ones? In fact, I wish I hadnt worked so hard is one of the top 5 regrets that palliative care nurse Bronnie Ware heard when caring for patients in the final stages of their life. Ware, who has turned her experiences into the book The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying, found that this was the second most common regret, particularly among men. So if youre a workaholic, what can you do to reclaim your spare time? We give you 7 realistic strategies to help you get your work/life balance in check 1. Stop wearing busyness as a schwimmbadge of honour Were all guilty of this one. It seems that we love being busy, and we cant resist a good humblebrag about it Somewhere down the line, busyness has become synonymous with success and status. Just think about it. How often have you heard a colleague brag about thei r 16-hour workday, or boast about how they can get by on just 4 hours of sleep? Dont be that person. Professor Ann Burnett, a busyness expert, told the Washington Post theres a perception that, If youre busy, youre important. Youre leading a full and worthy life. This attitude stigmatises leisure time, making it tantamount to weakness. It encourages us to cram in more, when what we really need to do is less. Feeling guilty about not being busy just isnt healthy, so go ahead and make time to do absolutely nothing once in a while and enjoy it 2. Leave the schreibstube on time, period. Its a lot easier said than done, but leaving the office on time shouldnt be a treat it should be the norm, and it should be non-negotiable If you make it a priority, and schedule your day right, clocking off on time is an extremely reasonable goal. Just dont let yourself fall into the trap of thinking you should just try to get this project done, or finish off that task. If you keep thinking this way, youll never leave the office There will always be more work to do. So knock off on time and enjoy your work-free evening doing the things you love. 3. Take your lunch break and get out of the office Make time to take your full lunch break, and use it as an excuse to walk away from your desk. Better still, use this time to recharge and get some fresh air by taking a brisk walk Too many of us are guilty of eating our lunch at our desks, and our brains and bodies are all the poorer for it. Lunch breaks are an important part of the day where you get to take a breather, mentally refocus and head back to work feeling re-energised. This is good for you but even better for your employer in the form of increased productivity. 4. Give yourself permission to disconnect Put the smartphone down Unless youre a business owner or senior manager, there really isnt any need to monitor work emails outside of business hours. Staying on top of your emails outside work hours creates a vicious cycle wher e people expect you to respond to emails at all hours. Remember that its okay to disconnect, and communicate to your employer that you wont be available after a certain time. Switch off your work phone, or remove your work account from your mobile. If you absolutely cannot miss a particularly urgent email, try setting up your account to only forward priority emails to you. Once you do this, youll see a reduction in your stress levels, and youll be able to spend more quality time with your loved ones. 5. Dont be afraid to say no When youre trying to get ahead and want to impress your employer, it can be hard to say no to things. For too long weve been conditioned to think of no as a bad word, but the reality is that there are only so many hours in the working day. Dont be afraid to say no to things like taking work home, picking up extra shifts, or taking over somebody elses project. Managers and bosses will respect that you know how to manage your time properly, and that youre not b iting off more than you can chew. 6. Ask work to get flexible Being able to work from home once or twice a week, having the time to care for an elderly parent or the ability to pick up your kids after school is possible if you openly discuss this with your manager. As the future of the workforce moves away from presenteeism and towards flexibility and productivity, more and more businesses are seeing the upside of giving employees the freedom to dictate their own hours. If youre not quite sure how to start this sort of discussion, heres a helpful article on how to negotiate more flexible work hours with your boss. 7. Schedule in time for the things that really matter It might seem ludicrous to book in time with your loved ones for something as simple as a cup of coffee, date night or a family get-together but we book dentist, doctor and hair appointments far in advance all the time. So, why shouldnt our loved ones deserve the same level of commitment? Scheduling in time with your si gnificant other, family or friends is a sure-fire way to always make time for the people that you love. Having a good work/life balance can do absolute wonders for your wellbeing, productivity, social life and relationships Even the smallest changes like taking a full lunch break rather than working through can make all the difference. So go on, make a change your career will thank you for it Know a workaholic? Remind them to take it easy and help them find that balance by sharing this post with them ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchespersonal care worker resume sampleyouth worker resume samplefactory worker cover letter with no experiencewhat attracts you to working for the just groupwork experience certificate format pdf CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online E nquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire Online Vivien LuuViv is a writer who enjoys researching and writing about creativity, how the human mind works, and neuro processes. 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