"The key is not to prioritise what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities" - Stephen Covey

Still having problems figuring out how to balance work and personal life? Work-life balance is a state of equilibrium in which one's professional and personal obligations are appropriately balanced. A person with a poor work-life balance has more job and home responsibilities, works longer hours, and has less personal time.

Separating your time with your job responsibilities and personal life is not that easy. It has become a major challenge for every employee, especially in this pandemic era, when the majority of employees work from home and work more than eight hours every day. According to tonnerbuzz.com, 11% of workers worldwide report working 50 hours or more each week, whereas we all know that the average working hours were only 40 hours every week. 

Pandemic and working remotely brought changes and somehow difficulty for some employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Struggles with schedule, changes in work habits as well as the boundaries set with work life and personal life are present. When looking for a job, most employees prioritise a healthy work-life balance and flexibility because it emphasises a healthy work environment. According to Zippia.com, 72% of workers regard work-life balance to be a very significant aspect when choosing a job, while 57 percent of job seekers consider a bad work-life balance to be a deal-breaker when looking for another job. What do you think their objectives are in terms of work-life balance?

Significance of Work-Life balance to an employee:

• Healthy work-life balance reduces stress and burn-out

• Improve not only your mental health but also your physical health

• Greater focus and concentration both in your work and personal life

• Increases productivity and job satisfaction

• The flexibility to fully participate in family and social life

Achieving a work-life balance is essential. Here are some suggestions to help you achieve a healthy work-life balance:

1. Schedule your time effectively.

Answering the question "What is most important to you?" is one of the ways of organising your tasks by significance and deadline efficiently. Setting aside time for each project and activity, as well as maintaining your daily routine (personal life), will enable you to command your focus and complete projects on time by not occupying a large portion of your personal life.

2. Work Smarter Instead of Harder

Simple techniques and concepts can help you increase your productivity at work and free up time for other responsibilities and personal interests. Having KPI provided by your manager will help you with what assignment you will prioritise first and will meet KPI achievement sooner in order for you to lessen the frustration, overwhelmed, overcommitted or overworked.

3. Set Boundaries

You must realise that achieving and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is not something that happens by chance. Priorities and achieving a healthy work-life balance start with you, and creating boundaries is the most straightforward approach to ensure that you can achieve it.

Declining work responsibilities outside working hours isn't unprofessional, and it isn't nearly as disrespectful as forcing an employee to work past their scheduled hours. If you're scared that your supervisor or coworkers will hate you for establishing boundaries, you definitely shouldn't have worked there in the first place. Learn how to say "NO".

4. Manage your breaks well

Aside from establishing clear boundaries between work and leisure, considering your physical and emotional health is also essential. Habits like eating at regular times, staying hydrated, and getting adequate rest all contribute to your overall health. Taking pauses throughout work hours improves work productivity and helps you stay productive throughout the day rather than becoming drowsy as the day progresses. Try not to get involved in work-related chores at this time. Allowing your professional and personal lives to intersect is an important part of work-life balance.

5. Find a company that fits you

Working in an organisation that prioritises its employees is just as vital as proper planning on your part. If your firm does not prioritise employee well-being, achieving work-life balance might be difficult. Simple perks like not contacting you on your day off and outside of working hours are just the least thing that an employer can do. Though, if the organisation has lengthy working hours, be sure it has procedures in place to care for and value the work-life balance of its employees.

Remember what Hillary Clinton said, “Don’t confuse having a career with having a life.” A career is not a good career without having a life to live, always prioritise yourself and have time for yourself. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is not that hard when you start setting a goal based on your priority and when you start to follow the listed techniques above. Visit our website for more job tips and achieve a meaningful career. See you!