The importance of a solid work/life balance

While work is an important part of your life, it’s not the only part. Having a suitable work/life balance is key to working better, living better and staying healthy. Dr Andrea James, Viva Energy's in-house doctor, explains.

The thing to remember when it comes to a healthy work/life balance is this: we don’t live to work; we work to live. It’s important to learn how to blend our work and personal lives and to manage the demands of each, taking into account the many roles we play ­– parent, carer, worker, colleague, and friend. If we understand how to balance our family, social and work lives, our work will benefit.

It’s also good to acknowledge that life does not always follow a straight path. At times we will need to tip the balance to accommodate additional work or personal demands, and then strive to get back into balance when we can.

Why is a healthy work/life balance so important?

Simply put, if you don’t have your work and personal life balanced, you can run into problems with your mental and physical health. Most people are aware that if you work very long hours, other things will suffer; there are only so many hours in a day.

If you’re spending a long period of time working that’s time you’re not spending with family and friends. It’s also time you’re potentially forgoing sleep, which can lead to fatigue, mental health problems, chronic illness and accidents.

When people spend long hours at work they may start to experience psychological distress, feeling overwhelmed or burnt out. This can have long-term health impacts.

The effects of a poor work/life balance

The long-term consequences of a poor work/life balance generally relate to mental health.

Some of the possible effects on our mental health when we don’t have our lives in balance are low mood, irritability, feelings of helplessness and low self-confidence. People may become withdrawn or have difficulties communicating with others, which affects relationships at home and at work. Their vulnerability to anxiety and depression, in particular, increases.

Poor work/life balance can also impact on physical wellbeing. If you’re not sleeping well, exercising regularly or eating healthy meals, it can lead to a number of physical problems.

Giving ourselves adequate time to relax, get enough exercise and spend time with family and friends helps us refresh, restore and rejuvenate so we can be more effective in all aspects of our lives, including work.

What you can do

Work/life balance is going to be different for everyone, so you need to recognise what your balance looks like and keep it in focus.

Communication is always important in all aspects of our lives. Let people such as your line manager or team know about any important aspects of your work-life balance. When there are times that you need to make adjustments to your work-life balance – for example, to care for a family member who is ill, attend a child’s school activity or spend extra time and attention on a work project ­– tell people at work and home so they can support you.

If you start to feel that work demands are out of balance with your personal life, then you need to take action and talk to someone at work. Ideally, you should discuss it with your line manager and you could also talk with your HR representative, a counsellor or a doctor.

To help achieve work-life balance we may need to look at how effectively and efficiently we do our work. This is sometimes called working smarter. I think all of us try to work smarter, but sometimes we get into habits and ways of working that are not beneficial. Some tips for healthy working are:

• Gain a clear understanding from your manager about their expectations of you and priorities.
• Set realistic goals and priorities and check back with your line manager about them.
• Try not to multitask. This can negatively affect how your brain operates and reduce efficiency. Concentrate on one task at a time and get it completed.
• Aim to be physically fit and healthy and ensure you have adequate sleep so that you can work to the best of your ability.
• Make sure your work environment supports you to work efficiently.
• Have enjoyable activities and holidays planned so you have things to look forward to.
• Use flexible working arrangements, if available, to help manage your work/life balance.

A holistic approach for health and happiness

Research has shown that people are healthier and happier when they are engaged in work that is satisfying and safe and which provides an adequate income. A healthy work/life balance is a joint responsibility between an employee and the employer. If you can put in a good day’s work, and have time to exercise, relax, and spend time with family and friends, you set yourself up for a happy and healthy life.