Work/life balance is a term which gets bandied about but do people know exactly how to create this? They may think it’s simply about spending less hours at work, but in fact it encompasses much more.
Many of us have dreams about what we’d like to accomplish personally and professionally. As the years go by, sometimes those dreams slide. It could be as simple as exercising regularly, taking art classes, weekend breaks to visit different places. Tomorrow is a great excuse, but what if tomorrow never comes? People may feel that parts of their life have been neglected as work and home life take over.
Helping your employees create a work/life balance leads to more well-being and less stress as people feel fulfilled from having time to spend on aspects of their life which matter to them. It’s not often people take a step back to get an overview of their life and where their time is being spent. This is what work/life balance is about.
The exercise of work/life balance involves people reviewing where their time is spent or not spent. Balancing involves using techniques to ensure that all aspects have the right amount of time devoted to them. How can an employee ensure they get to exercise twice a week, is it possible to do an evening class which can fit into their family commitments?
Work/life balance is something which should be performed regularly since people’s lives change. Going from being single to getting married, having children, mean that priorities change. Retirement is another major life change – are companies helping such employees decide how to spend their time. For people whose life has mainly been about working hard and long hours, retirement can be a shock as they realise they don’t know what to do with their time.
There are many policies which businesses can implement to help their staff create work/life balance. Allowing flexible working hours, experimenting with long/short working days and gym membership discounts are just a few things. This article covers these in more detail as it discusses the benefits to employers of promoting a balanced life, such as:
- Better staff retention
- Increased productivity
- More profitability
- Higher employee engagement
In these times where we don’t physically need to be at our desks for many jobs, companies can trial new ways of working. It makes sense that ensuring your employees feel happy about their life and accomplishments leads to a better attitude and performance at work.
Since people spend a large part of their life at work, employers should ensure that their staff are encouraged to find a work/life balance which suits them. This is a win/win situation for all as your employees wellbeing helps your business become more profitable and successful.
Author Bio. – Dr Malti Patel has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and has been practising Mindfulness Meditation for over 10 years. Her company EnlightOne provides wellbeing services and works closely with organisations to tailor these services such that their workforce are more focused, productive and engaged. Please email info@enlightone.co.uk for more details.
