The term "work-life balance" - private and business life in balance, or life balance, was first used in the eighties in America, as a concept that partly explained the unhealthy lifestyle that many people led. The basic characteristic of such a life was the neglect of many aspects of life, from family to social to the neglect of many small personal needs that each individual has, and which are related to his nature, temperament and established habits.
Burnout syndrome is becoming an increasingly common problem for all people who consume large amounts of energy in an effort to achieve set work goals in their workplace. In addition, over the last ten years, a new type of pressure from employees in the form of harassment in the workplace has spread. There is also a growing number of negative consequences that were partly due to the competitive atmosphere that was nurtured and maintained in the workplace with the aim of increasing the productivity and success of companies.
Employees are expected to invest more and more in achieving their companies ’goals, while their basic needs (including the need for material and professional security in the future, which is often a major motive for additional investment of effort at work) remained unmet. Establishing a balance between work and life as a whole is one of the important aspects of human resource management in the modern world. The balance between work and life actually implies a constant process of balancing between responsibilities at work and those at home.
Symptoms of imbalance model private and business life
In an atmosphere characterized by feelings of overload and insecurity, the balance of the individual is disturbed, there is a continuous overload and neglect of private life. The job-life conflict is defined as a role conflict in which demands related to work and other domains of life simultaneously exert pressure that a person cannot get rid of, because satisfying the demands of one party necessarily leads to impossibility of satisfying the other party.
Feeling overwhelmed with work, work demands and the time that must be devoted to their execution is a significant threatening factor when it comes to the family, its balance and optimal functioning. Employees who feel the great pressure that comes from work, often declare its negative impact on family relationships. Also, they are less satisfied with their family life, they more often miss performing family obligations due to work.
The connection between the quality of family life and the possibility for an individual to properly distribute their energy in meeting family and business requirements is quite logical. People who have problems in establishing this balance, primarily due to the volume of work and the responsibility they feel towards it, spend significantly less time in the family environment. In addition, the time spent with the family is often not of a positive quality because employees show a tendency to "take home problems with them".
And finally, employees with a lower sense of workload regularly practice activities that encourage feelings of security and coherence of the family, such as joint meals, creative activities, socializing with family friends, practicing various types of joint parties and others.
Strategies and tips for improving the balance of private and business life
1. Slow down
Life is simply too short
Take concrete steps to stop and enjoy the things and people around you
Find ways to distance yourself from the things that cause you the most stress.
2. Learn to better manage your time.
Avoid procrastination (delay from one day to the next). For many people, most of the stress they suffer is just a result of being disorganized - and procrastinating (delaying from one day to the next).
Learn to set more realistic goals and deadlines - and stick to them.
3. Divide the load
Although sometimes we may feel like we are the only ones capable of doing something, that is usually not the case.
Motivate your partner or other family members to help you with your family responsibilities.
4. Let some things go their course (don't sweat over little things)
Learn to recognize things that don’t have as much of an impact on your life and allow yourself to just let them go their course
5. Explore your options. Seek help.
In many cases you have certain options; you just need to take the time to research them
Eg: hire someone to help you with babysitting or caring for parents, consult with friends, share experiences
Don't feel overwhelmed by family responsibilities
6. Set priorities.
Sometimes it’s easier to allow ourselves to be overwhelmed than to take the lead and make a list of priorities among the things that need to be done
7. Simplify
It is human nature to take on too many tasks and responsibilities, to try to do too much and to possess too much
Find a way to simplify your life
Change your lifestyle
Get rid of garbage and excess luggage in your house - and in your life.
8. Don’t plan too many things
Assume that only 50% of what you have planned for one day will be realized.
9. Be relentless in setting priorities
The secret to effective time management comes down to knowing what's really important and what to expect.
Use the sharpest knife to separate the essential from the secondary.
10. Learn how to say no
One of the most powerful weapons in effective time management is raising awareness of the fact that you don't have to agree with everyone and everything.
11. Organize things around you
Taking control of your time is not just a matter of planning and scheduling. "Eliminating the clutter and the chaos it causes will give you 240 to 288 hours each year."
12. Use technology
Step beyond your personal habits and develop time management skills. Use technology as another weapon to achieve maximum effect during the working day. "Reminder papers are one of the worst things in the world… .."
13. But don’t rely on her too much
Effective time management also means knowing when to turn everything off. Turning off a cell phone or other wireless means of communication means setting boundaries in communication. This helps you regain the balance between private and business life.
14. Know that things will never be perfect
Be grateful for what is going according to plan and learn from your mistakes. Work as hard as you can and enjoy every moment where you feel good or have been productive. Keep your private and business life in balance. Time management is not an exact science. Don't stress yourself further and waste time during this process, obsessively monitoring every second of your time.
I have a problem saying NO