Finding a balance between work and personal life is a challenge that many women in the workplace face. Juggling career ambitions, family responsibilities, and personal well-being can be overwhelming. In this blog, we'll explore the importance of achieving this balance and share the stories (and secrets) of women who have successfully navigated work and personal life.
Work-life balance is not just a luxury and shouldn’t be a phrase people throw around so that they can appear reasonable. It's essential for overall well-being and long-term career success. Studies show that individuals who achieve a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives experience lower stress levels, improved job satisfaction, and better mental and physical health.
Maria, works as a project manager. She lives in Trafford, Manchester and is passionate about her work but often finds herself working late into the night and missing important family events. After experiencing burnout, she decided to reassess her priorities. With the support of her employer and by setting clear boundaries, Maria regained her health but also became more productive at work and present in her personal life. Let's call it Maria 2.0. We’ve all been Maria. And we all can be Maria 2.0 when she finds a work-life balance.
Steps to achieve work-life balance
Define boundaries between your work and personal life.
What are your non-negotiable? Have to go to netball practice at 5 pm every Wednesday? Or do you need to pick your child up from school between 3-4 pm every day and start work a bit earlier? Write down all your non-negatible work-life balance points.
Communicate these boundaries to your employer, colleagues, and family members to ensure everyone understands and respects your limits.
Even if you write down your non-negotiables, no one is going to know unless you share them. The perfect time to do this may be when you start a new role or a new project, there may be an opportunity to do a team charter when you define your ways of working with each other.
When you communicate you become aware of the practices your workplace has in place to help you. Flexibility in your work arrangements can be a game-changer for achieving work-life balance. Remember Maria? Maria negotiated a flexible work arrangement that allowed her to work from home a few days a week. This flexibility not only reduced her commuting time but also enabled her to be more present for her children's school events and activities.
Many UK employers offer flexible working options, such as remote work or flexible hours. But if you don’t ask, you don’t get it.
Effective time management is crucial for achieving work-life balance.
By prioritising tasks and eliminating time-wasting activities, you can free up more time for what matters most. In your prioritisation exercise it’s also good to understand the most important tasks. When you outline the important tasks that you fundamentally cannot delay, do those firsts, and then the less important ones towards the bottom. Identify the most important tasks in both your professional and personal life. Focus your energy on these priorities and do not worry if you cannot always complete the less important tasks.
Let’s look back to Maria. One way Maria helped her time management was by time blocking. By implementing the technique of time blocking she was able to manage her work tasks and personal commitments. By allocating specific time slots for each aspect of her life, she ensured that she had dedicated moments for both her career and family.
A key way to maintain a healthy work-life balance is by making self-care a non-negotiable.
Self-care comes in different forms for different people. It may be putting a face mask on and sitting in the bathtub until you turn into a prune. It may be reading in the park, or going for long runs. Taking care of your physical and mental well-being is essential. Ignoring self-care can lead to burnout and negatively impact both your career and personal life. It’s so important to make self-care a non-negotiable part of your routine. Allocating time for activities that recharge you physically and emotionally, ensures you have the energy to excel in both your career and personal life.
Our (now) queen of work-life balance Maria managed to turn her life around by incorporating self-care routines into her daily life, regular exercise, meditation, and quality time with loved ones helped her manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Achieving work-life balance is not an unattainable dream; it's a strategic and achievable goal. By setting boundaries, managing your time effectively, exploring flexible work options, and prioritising self-care, we can excel in our careers while also enjoying a fulfilling personal life.
Fempire Finance
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