Tips on how to achieve a better work-life balance.
A healthy work-life balance is what many people strive for when looking for a job. In fact, ‘over two-thirds (70% of women and 65% of men) see work-life balance…as being more important than their pay and employee benefits combined’.
However, achieving a work-life is easier said than done. When you’ve got a busy job that takes up a lot of time and energy, it can be difficult to prioritise a work-life balance.
Regardless of how busy you are, it’s important for your health to make a mindful effort to ensure your work isn’t beginning to encroach on your personal life.
Tips for a better work-life balance include, but are not limited to:
- Pairing breaks with exercise
- Joining a flexible co-working space
- Not allowing work to seep into your personal life
- Being strict about scheduling time away from screens
1. Pairing Breaks With Exercise
One of the best tips for a better work-life balance is to pair breaks with exercise.
It can feel counterproductive to get up and take a break when you feel like you’re in the flow of working, however, it’s essential for your focus and to maintain a better work-life balance.
For instance, studies have found that 'sedentarism impacts negatively on brain health’. As desk work is highly sedentary, you need to ensure that you’re stepping away from your desk frequently to promote better brain function.
In addition to this, exercise helps you to compartmentalise different parts of your life. In turn, this takes you away from the stress and worry of work, allowing you to focus on being present.
Whether you’re going for a lunchtime walk, a gym session, or even just a stroll around, exercise can help you to boost productivity when you’re working and help you to achieve a better work-life balance.
2. Joining A Flexible Co-Working Space
One of the best tips for a better work-life balance is to join a flexible co-working space.
A co-working space allows you to interact and network with people and businesses from multiple industries, find out about interesting events, and place you in the heart of a bustling location.
Whether you’re stepping out to have a lunch-date in the various restaurants, or are exploring an exciting new city you wouldn’t otherwise work in, joining a co-working space gives you the flexibility to prioritise a better work-life balance.
Not only that, but working around various types of people will naturally encourage you to have more conversations and interactions that you might not otherwise have if you work from home.
This provides you with the perfect opportunity to take a step back from your work and desk and socialise, which is also good for a work-life balance.
Tramshed Tech offers co-working spaces across multiple locations in Wales, including two in Cardiff, Newport, Barry, and we are launching two new office spaces in locations in Newport and Swansea.
If you’re interested in one of our coworking spaces, get in touch about our memberships today.
3. Not Allowing Work To Seep Into Your Personal Life
Another tip is to not allow work to seep into your personal life, regardless of whether you work at home or in an office, as this maximises the potential for you to become burnt out.
While you might not see any harm in it, taking a call here and there and checking your work emails on a weekend is how bad habits can begin.
To combat this, make a plan to turn off notifications on your work phone, or turn it off entirely when you’re not working. In turn, this will help to ensure you won’t be tempted to check it.
This way, you can keep work at work, and your home somewhere that you can return to to take the day off.
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4. Being Strict About Scheduling Time Away From Screens
There’s no denying that screen-time is an ever-pressing issue if you work a desk-job that requires you to work
A study funded by Research England found that out of 500 adults interviewed, ‘half of respondents look at screens for 11 hours or more a day, with more than a quarter looking at screens for more than 14 hours a day’.
Significant screen use can have a negative impact on your eyesight, your sleep, causes headaches and migraines, not to mention the negative effects that living a sedentary lifestyle can have.
While investing in good quality blue light glasses can help to combat the problems associated with screen-time, being strict about scheduling time away is essential to maintain a work-life balance.
Not only will this help to increase your quality of life and promote positive change regarding the potential health issues screen time can lead to, it also encourages you to do something different with your time.
In prioritising time away from screens, then, you'll have more time to focus on what makes you happiest and will promote a better work-life balance.
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We are Tramshed Tech: a startup ecosystem home to 50+ companies ranging from pre-revenue start-ups to scaling businesses with 600+ registered members from the digital, creative and tech communities. We’re currently based in Grangetown, Cardiff Central & Newport, and are soon expanding to other sites across South Wales to Barry and Swansea.
If you’re interested in joining us at any of our locations, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Written by Jemima Thomas for Tramshed Tech.
