Work-life balance is when employees have a healthy relationship between work and their personal lives. With work-life balance, workers can fulfill professional and personal commitments while also prioritizing their well-being.
How can professionals improve their work-life balance?
Professionals can achieve work-life balance by:
- Pausing and assessing what’s causing stress – to avoid burnout, it’s critical to examine what’s causing stress. Professionals can then rethink their work habits.
- Taking proper time off – whether the company has an unlimited PTO policy or grants employees a set amount of days off per year, (link), it’s important to take time off to recharge.
- Changing habits – Ending work at a certain time each day, taking breaks, or not answering emails over the weekend – changing little habits can go a long way.
- Communicating with management – talking to leadership can help professionals understand how to prioritize. If there’s too much on their plate, employees can also discuss solutions such as bringing on a freelancer to help.
How many hours of work per week is healthy?
In a study, time management expert, Laura Vanderkam, found that employees who felt like they had enough time to finish their tasks worked 7.6 hours per day. This adds up to roughly 38 hours per week.
Why is work-life balance important?
With work-life balance, employers can see higher productivity, more dedicated employees, better mental health rates, and stronger personal relationships. For their part, employees feel happier and are more likely to stay in their jobs when there’s harmony between their job and their personal life.
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