We’ve all heard about how working “smarter” not “harder” can be the ultimate switch to achieving greater productivity, but how much of a work-life balance to we really have?
The Importance of a Good Work Life Balance
Whether you’re self-employed, a business owner, a new parent, or a student, balancing your workload alongside your personal commitments can be tough at times. Focussing on what’s important and prioritising your workload can have huge effects on your productivity, motivation and goal achieving ability. Having a work life balance that works for you is one of the best ways to minimise stress and feel in control of your personal and work life. It does not mean you have to give up work commitments or vice a versa, ensuring your home life and professional life run seamlessly along-side each other is the key to having a sustainable work life balance.
Here are our top 6 tips on how to have a better work life balance:
1. Get Organised
Planning out your time allows you to prioritise, stay focused and have a clear plan of action. Write down all your appointments on a weekly planner and schedule in time for important tasks that take more time to complete. This way of prioritising reduces the risk of missing deadlines and being overwhelmed by your to-do list. Start with the most important task first thing in your day, followed by smaller tasks that take less time. Schedule in time for regular breaks and important family commitments. Finding a time for all tasks to be done involves breaking down your day to allow for better time management. Planning for the week or month ahead is a great way to improve your work life balance, it limits time wasting on little tasks and allows you to get down to the true priorities.
2. Just Do It
Letting go of being a perfectionist is an essential part of getting things done. So often we find ourselves hung up on decisions and procrastinating getting tasks done as we do not feel like we will do a good enough job or do not know where to start. The best way to develop a better work life balance is simply to get things done. Don’t think just do. Whether it’s an important meeting that you need to schedule in, a creative project that needs planning or a messy drawer in your office that needs sorting! Whatever it might be that you are putting off, schedule a time in your diary to complete tasks on your to do list and allow yourself to feel less overwhelmed. Bettering your work life balance involves getting tasks done. So, just do it!
3. Health & Wellness
Exercise and mindfulness play a huge role in our lives. Looking after your health and wellbeing increases motivation and concentration. Here at Cubo we hold community events for members which provides networking opportunities and to break up your day. Taking regular breaks increases focus and helps reconnect you with colleagues. Invest time into day or week to have time off and spend it doing something to support your health. Making exercise a must do, whether that’s getting out of the house for a short walk at lunch time or attending a weekly fitness class, is a great way to develop a better balance between work and your personal life. Making the decision to move everyday improves both your mood and focus on work, so you can make the most of your down time.
4. Unplug
Digital detoxing is an amazing way to refresh and reset your creativity. We are all addicted to technology in some way or another and starting small is the key. Start by setting small achievable goals such as taking an hour or two off from technology at a weekend and build on it from there. Gaining a better work life balance is all about making the most of those moments outside of work in order to be fully focussed when at work. Working smarter, rather than harder, involves taking regular breaks from technology to manage the time you spend on a task. Assess which areas of your day you might be spending too much time on your phone or reading emails out of work hours rather than spending time with family and develop a better routine from there.
5. Take Time to Refresh
Creative thinkers often talk about the feeling of hitting a wall, they run out of ideas and are mentally drained. The same scenario occurs in many professions in the form of writer’s block and can lead to making more mistakes than usual. Take some time off or put your focus into a different task for a while to allow you to re-focus on what’s important. Building a better work life balance is not something you have to do alone. Get together with colleagues, family or friends and support each other in the process to bettering your schedule and making time for the things that are important to you.
6. Separate Work Life and Home Life
Working from home has been something we have all had to adapt to in some way or another; whether you have had to work from home yourself for a period of time or your business has been affected by employees working remotely. Finding the balance between your work and home life when working from home can be tough. A great tip for keeping your home life separate to you work life is to have a designated space that is just for work. This can be in a separate room in your house or have a desk space out of the way, either way, make sure it is only for work. Removing distractions by keeping this space tidy will allow you to get straight on with work first thing and keep you focussed. Meaning when you are not at your desk, you can enjoy your time off. Here at Cubo we offer Hot Desk and Designated Desk memberships so you can find the balance between home life and work life.
Key Takeaways
Achieving a greater work life balance is a process involving altering your habits and understanding which areas of your schedule can adapt. Improving your work life balance is a cycle not an achievement so starting small is essential to developing and sustaining a better balance.
If you are interested in any of the topics talked about in this blog, then you could be the perfect candidate to join our co-working and private office memberships. We have spaces available at Derby, Sheffield, and Nottingham with multiple floors of Private Offices all fitted with state-of-the-art kitchens, meeting rooms, FRANKE coffee machines and our in-house barista. All our memberships provide you with secure super-fast internet, 24/7 access and a front reception manager as well as access to our exclusive events and networking opportunities.
For any further information, please so not hesitate to get in touch and one of our friendly team members will get back to you. Simply visit our contact page or drop us an email to enquiries@cubowork.com
