Maintaining a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Employees work for a corporation practically every day in the same setting and perform an identical quantity and type of work. They spend most of the day giving their full attention to the firm they work for. Though this is something that could never really be appreciated enough, it often leads to the loss of their work-life balance. The majority of employees become so overwhelmed with work that they just cannot put an end to office hours and continue working even after returning home. This has a severe impact on both employees and businesses since it may make it more difficult for them to retain and engage workers. As a result, Ashley Whillans of Harvard Business School discusses how employees may maintain a healthy work-life balance in this YouTube video on the TED channel.

Ashley opens the video by implying that it has nearly become universally acknowledged to encounter a million minor disruptions even on days off. Actions like taking a call from work while on leave, messaging your superiors after office hours, or emailing colleagues while spending time with your family may seem inconsequential for now but may cost considerably more in the long run. As a result, she believes that there is an urgent need to implement ways to better preserve our time. She says that, while these tiny efforts may appear insignificant at the time, research indicates that they can add up to a significant cost, such as an increase in stress and the undermining of happiness. She also claims that the always-on work style is harmful to firms and has a negative impact on employee productivity. Ashley suggests that the first step in developing an effective work-life balance is to rethink relaxation. She says that instead of stressing about being less productive or not adding enough value to our team while on time off, we instead focus on making the most of the current moment. Another method Ashley recommends for establishing a healthy work-life balance is to set clear boundaries for your time off. She advises making minor adjustments, such as substituting “Out of Office” with “I will be unavailable. Only contact me if the situation is critical” to define clear boundaries. Finally, she proposes that instead of fretting and pushing ourselves to the limit just to complete everything by the deadline, we just request a deadline extension. This way, we can produce high-quality results without risking burnout.

A healthy work-life balance is essential for being productive at work while also ensuring that we do not miss out on important life events. The aforementioned are a few essential tactics that employees may follow to achieve a better work-life balance.