First, it is important to define exactly what constitutes work-life balance. Basically, it is the notion of dividing your time and energy between everyday work and all of the other important aspects of your life.
As we move into the Fourth Industrial Age and the working era of millennials, who are expected to make up the vast majority of the workplace in the next decade, we leave behind an age where the notion of work-life balance was all too often limited to younger, more progressive companies. Chronic stress among workers is a very real problem for employers in today’s fast paced environment, and employers are recognising that high rates of burnout may be assuaged by prioritizing a better balance between work and other aspects of everyday life.
Not everyone has the same notion of what constitutes a healthy work-life balance. Ask any baby boomer or Generation X employee and they may have entirely different opinions, especially when compared to the millennial population. One very telling result from our recent 2019 Tipping Point survey was the overwhelming number of respondents who saw ‘Flexible Work Hours’ as by far the biggest benefit their respective companies could offer.
In fact, research has shown that not only flexible work hours, but also the ability to work from home and unlimited paid time off would create a work environment that appeals to all of today’s employees, regardless of age.
However, while most companies are still a long way from offering these types of ‘perks’, there are some fundamental work-life balance ideas that can be practiced on a day-to-day basis. Here are just a few:
While focusing on work can often overwhelm everything else in life, it can also detract from our overall well-being. We only have one life and quality is all too often missing, whether by choice or circumstance. No matter how you organize your time, you should strive to create a balance that allows you to be both successful at work and happy in your personal life.
