The other day I was watching a girl walking on a tight rope, ably balancing herself with a stick. She made it seem so easy, deftly balancing herself, left then right, sometimes faltering, but picking up instantly and moving forward successfully!
How much of practice it might have taken to achieve this feat, I wondered. Soon, I started drawing a comparison between this incident and the life we live today. It’s so much similar. Life is like walking on a tightrope. In today’s VUCA world, which so full of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, the question that arises then is:
Have we achieved the balance required to make our lives successful?
Yes I am talking about our work and life balance. And yes, it is similar to walking on a tight rope.
Is finding a work-life balance in our professions becoming a challenge? To answer this, we have to first know what work-life balance is all about.
Work-life balance refers to a person’s ability to maintain a healthy balance between their roles and responsibilities at work, their personal space, and family life. Often people find it challenging to maintain a balance in each of these fields. This phenomenon is more often seen in professionals and business owners. The end result: stress and stress related diseases, broken families and neglected children. It has therefore become very crucial to first ensure a healthy work-life balance, starting especially at the workplace.
Work-life balance awareness at workplace An employee’s ability to meet organizational commitments, along with satisfaction in their personal life, greatly affects the overall productivity of the employee which in turn affects the growth and success of the business. Helping employees to achieve a work life balance increases satisfaction, dedication and loyalty towards their work.
Organizations which recognize these benefits and implement policies and training to promote a healthy work life balance, get a competitive edge in the market. Such organizations experience increased productivity which ultimately leads increased retention rates and reduction in turnover costs.
A survey was conducted on work-life balance. It was observed that many of the employees suffered from exhaustion, inertia, lack of interest, lack of energy and so on. One can imagine the productivity of such individuals. Even in their personal lives they had poor friendships, could not dedicate time for their spouses and children, and were feeling unappreciated, on the whole.
The company decided to take matters into their hands. They introduced some relevant policies and training. In few months the same employees not only looked cheerful, their productivity increased and they were happy in their personal sphere too.
The company found that people who experience healthy work life balance:
Were 21% more productive
Stress levels at work and at home were reduced considerably
Great improvement in physical and mental health
Greater focus and concentration
Got more time to spend with family and friends
Got more time to participate in social activities
Enjoyed a higher level of job satisfaction
More likely to stay in the same organization
Was it magic? No, it was practice. When the company introduced the new policies and training, they also ensured the employees put it to practice. And they did. The outcome – a healthy professional and personal life.
Few tips to maintain a healthy work-life balance Clarify your Priorities: It is very important to make a note of your priorities in life. In order to excel in the professional front you need to understand your job responsibilities and prioritize your tasks accordingly. Along with your professional life, you need to set priorities in your personal life too, which includes, spending quality time with your family and getting along in social circles.
Set Limits: If you don’t set limits today, one fine day you will find yourself in a soup and end up falling prey to circumstances and external pressures. Plan your daily tasks in such a manner that you can finish the assigned tasks, smoothly and efficiently. Set a time within which you need to accomplish the given tasks and leave the office on time. You need to be flexible in certain unexpected circumstances, but otherwise you got to stick to your rule. Hard work doesn’t means sitting late in the office but you got to work smart and finish off as early as possible.
Personal v/s Professional life: It is very important to maintain a fine balance between personal and professional life. Often employees find it difficult to detach themselves from work. Even after reaching home they often end up thinking about the upcoming presentation, deadlines, targets to achieve and so on. Try not to carry any work pressure at home. It certainly disturbs your personal life. Learn to separate your personal and professional life.
Take a break: No matter what, Health comes first. Prioritize your tasks in such a manner that you are left with ample time to take breaks and relax during hectic working hours. In order to maintain a healthy work-life balance it is quite important to remove some time for yourself. Consume healthy food, exercise and meditate to stay fit and fine. On weekends visit beautiful places plan to spend quality time with your family and friends. Take breaks from busy schedules and find the much required peace and comfort to come back, refreshed.
By implementing these tips, you will be able to accomplish your tasks in a pre-defined manner. You can get back home feeling satisfied and productive at the end of your day. When you don’t have too much work piled up at office and you are all sorted, you will surely be left with plenty of quality time to spend with your friends and family after work.
Let’s practice prioritizing and stop procrastinating. After all, it was practice that made it easy for the tight rope walker. Let’s make life interesting, not a burden.
About UV Consultants: At UV Consultants, we focus on providing ‘Unique Value’ to our customers through Customized Training Solutions and Focused Coaching to Individuals and Corporates.
To discuss your training requirements, please write to contact@uvconsultants.com or call +971-4-8525752.
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