My special mamas, I know how hard it can be to balance work and life. I’ve done it as a mom that worked away from home and one that worked in the home – and let me tell you – it’s even harder when work is in your house. It isn’t hard because of a lack of knowledge about work-life balance importance, but rather how to get my brain to agree to it.
With the way the world is these days, it is so difficult to live on a single income, leaving us moms to take on careers while raising our babies all day long. It’s not easy. Knowing exactly what work-life balance is and why it’s important can be crucial to living a happier and healthier lifestyle.
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Work-Life Balance: What is it Really?
It’s a term that we hear often, isn’t it? Work-life balance. I imagine a scale with work on one side and life on the other, but is that really all there is to it? Giving equal amounts of time to each side? Eh, not really. It’s actually a bit more complicated than balancing your time.
The idea of work-life balance is a little different for everyone. In general, however, work-life balance is the presence you give to your work and to your life. Time spent with family is wonderful, but only if you are present during that time spent with your family. If you have a day away with your spouse and end up texting about work half the time, do you really have balance? No! Give your work your work time and your life your life time.
Generational Work-Life Balance Importance
Look at the generational differences in balance. Baby boomers, for instance, tilt the scale more toward work than life. Their children grew up seeing this and repeated the action. Millennials have started the trend of finding balance. They care about their lifestyle outside of work but have to work to pay off excessive student loans and credit card debt. With so many different work-life styles, why is the balance so important?
Why is Work-Life Balance Important?
There are several reasons why work-life balance importance is crucial. From a health perspective to a performance perspective, the benefits span from life to work. Employees and employers alike should aim for real equilibrium.
Reduced Stress
This is huge when it comes to real balance between work and life. Stress is reduced for a number of reasons, one of which is the ability to reset for the next day’s work. Another reason stress is less when there is a sense of equality among work and life is because of the improvement in time away from work, as it will actually be away from work.
Fewer Health Issues
With reduced stress comes fewer health concerns. Obesity, heart disease, stroke, headaches, and numerous other health problems are statistically proven to be far less when the individual has a balance between work and life. There is more time to workout, eat healthier, drink enough water, and simply live.
Improved Relationships
Have you ever felt your relationships strain when you are working a lot? Do you have time to pay attention to your husband or children when you’re working? Of course not. With proper stability between the two, you may find yourself able to enjoy real time with your family and friends. You can communicate without the interruption of work calls or messages. You can bond.
Presence
You are present! Your mind has no reason to split its focus when you are only present for the task or activity at hand. Play basketball with your kids and enjoy the time together. Have a dinner date with your husband and truly fall in love with him all over again. Work and get things accomplished. Being present allows you to focus on what you should be focusing on during that time.
How Can Balance Help with Work?
There are so many personal benefits to a sense of equilibrium that we often forget the benefits to our work. However, there are so many positives to work-life balance, employers should encourage it.
Better Engagement
Employees with stability in both areas of their life will provide the orgainzation with better engagement. When they work, they go all in. There is no need to multitask work with personal life when there is a good balance. This isn’t to say that emergencies don’t happen. However, it does mean that their mind is where it should be during work hours.
Burnout is Less Prevalent
Have you ever felt burnout? You’ve been burning it at both ends and can’t seem to get the motivation to keep pushing through? I’ve been there. When I spend too much time on work and not enough time outside of work, I get burntout. It doesn’t have to be that way!
Greater Mindfulness
Mindfulness is such a great concept to be aware of. It’s simply a state of being aware or conscious. You can be mindful of work-related things and get things done far better and faster when you are mindful of your tasks.
Creative Thinking Boost
People with balance in work and life are also often more creative! Employers may be surprised to find how a person with a stable lifestyle outside of work can contribute creatively to solve problems, designing things, and more. It’s a great benefit.
Productivity
Employees become so much more productive when they have time outside of work to relax. This means their hours in work are spent actually working – not trying to stay busy or appearing to be so – they are getting important tasks completed in good time. Plus, they are also doing it well and are often highly motivated.
Success
Success is so much more imminent when employees have the ability to turn off work at the end of the day. People need that time to recharge and come back feeling refreshed. Doing so helps to make success so much more possible.
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How Can Employers Encourage Balance?
Organizations can help employees to find balance within their own lives by taking a few important steps.
Time Off
People need time off from work. Additionally, a lot of people must be told to take time off from work. Too many workers feel that they will fall behind or lose money if they use PTO for a vacation. If an organization were to encourage employees to use their time off doing things not work related, they would be better off.
Breaks
Taking breaks can be hugely beneficial to employees and the company they work for. Not only should an organization allow breaks, but they should provide break areas, coffee, and other ways for people to step away. Studies have shown that a 15 minute break every 90 minutes can help employees stay energized and ready to accomplish goals.
Employees at all Levels Should Practice Balance
It shouldn’t matter if you are the owner of the organization or the new guy, breaks are important. If the new employee sees the owner taking frequent breaks and even spending those breaks talking to another employee about the latest football game, that employee might feel encouraged to take the proffered breaks. Higher ups need to set an example – if you’re the higher up, be the example.
Flexibility
A flexible organization can help employees to become balanced. What does it mean to be flexible? Allow some breathing room in the work schedule. Provide the opportunity to work from home. These flexible options give people the ability to live their life outside of work without having to maintain a strict schedule.
Comfort
Office comforts seem unnecessary for some organizations, but in truth they can encourage more work-life balance. A comfortable space for employees to sit in the break room, quality office chairs, and even a breastfeeding area can help people to maintain their balance. If you’re the boss, think about what options you might include for your employees!
Great Leadership
If your employees are failing to do something, it is often a result of poor leadership. What can you do to change how you’re leading to encourage employees to have that balance? Be a leader, set an example, and share the importance of balance with your people.
You Only Live Once
I’m 29 and I really don’t like the YOLO phrase. It tends to make people do stupid things. However, you do actually only live once and should think about how you’re spending your only life. Are you working too much to pay for the lifestyle you don’t even get to live? Have you forgotten about the fun you used to have with your friends before you let work take over your life?
As a work at home mom, I understand the need to put forth everything of myself into a business idea so that it takes off. But is it really worth it? My kids are only going to be this little once. If I miss it, what do I have? Not enough. Prioritize and find balance, mama!
Do you have any tips for achieving balance in work and in life? Share them in the comments!