Work-life balance has always been an important aspect of our lives, but never has it been as emphasized as it is today.
As key members of the work force return to offices after working from home, others continue to work remotely, and some employers adopt hybrid schedules, it stands to reason that work-life balance as work expectations shift should remain a priority.
Daniel Menard- a professional with over three decades worth of experience as a senior executive- has found that implementing strategies to maintain a healthy work-life balance has had a noticeable impact on both his work life and home life.
Here, Daniel discusses the importance of keeping a work-life balance as well as strategies members of the workforce can use to prioritize healthy boundaries.
What is the Importance of Work-Life Balance?
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There are a host of reasons why experts speak to work-life balance as an important piece of a healthy work environment. For example, keeping healthy boundaries is an important step for protecting our mental health both on and off the clock. Individuals that find it difficult to strike a balance that works for them may find themselves burned out and unable to keep up with obstacles in their professional life.
Failure to prioritize a healthy work-life balance can have damaging implications for our physical health as well. Chronic stress can lead to health problems such as hypertension, heart problems, digestion issues, and a wide range of other symptoms.
Dan Menard recognizes that there are other important reasons to find your perfect balance as well. Workplace stress without proper outlets can isolate us from friends and family, making it difficult to nurture our relationships and get the most out of our lives. It can also make us susceptible to mental health issues such as anxiety or depression.
What Can We Do About It?
One of the most difficult parts of working towards work-life balance is that there is no one way to attack the subject. What works for one person’s situation may not be as effective for others.
Still, Daniel Menard speaks to how there are plenty of ways to experiment with a balance that works best for you. These methods- which include a combination of practices for on and off the clock- can help employees maintain their boundaries while remaining productive members of a team.
Prioritizing Your Time
Almost everyone has been in a situation at work where they are faced with a massive task list with no clear order of importance. From experience, Daniel Menard knows that this can be frustrating and present obstacles for getting responsibilities done in a timely manner.
Prioritizing your time can be done in many different ways- all of which working towards the goal of streamlining your workday. One common way to prioritize one’s time is to try to keep a routine. While new tasks and urgent situations may threaten the order of your routine occasionally, having one means that you can get a clear picture of how to get things back on track.
Another important aspect of prioritizing your time is learning how to sequence your tasks effectively. Categories may differ depending on the nature of your work, but tiered lists ordered from “urgent and important” all the way down to “not urgent” is a great start.
In the words of Daniel Menard “Everything is important, but not everything is urgent”. Try to keep this in mind when organizing your tasks- some can wait!
Nurturing Your Life Outside the Office
Every job can be difficult or stressful at times. For this reason, it is important to have our outlets for managing stress outside of the office.
Dan Menard knows that it can be difficult to find the time for ourselves, especially if we have kids or other responsibilities. It is important to remember that making time for ourselves and others is an important facet of maintaining healthy relationships.
Thinking of exploring more hobbies as an adult? Realize it’s been a while since you’ve bought your partner flowers “just because”? Or notice that it has been a while since you’ve called your mom to talk about her day?
Never lose sight of the moments that we do not get back. Keeping up with your relationships and interests outside of work will only make you more ready to handle the rigors of your career when you’ve returned to the office.
Disconnecting When Appropriate
Depending on your position, it can be very difficult to fully unplug when you are not on the clock. We need time to disconnect to remain healthy and sane while working, however.
Daniel Menard realizes that many workers, especially those in management or administration, feel pressure to be always available. This can be even more true for individuals who work remotely.
Luckily, there are quite a few strategies that can be used to disconnect on our off time without making life more difficult for others. For example, if you find that people are constantly looking for you in your off time, it may be helpful to consider why.
If people need you because you are the only one that can handle certain responsibilities, consider addressing cross-training that can make multiple people capable of finishing the tasks at hand. This can help employees have the tools to clear priorities if someone is out sick, on vacation, or simply off the clock.
Another common way to disconnect without leaving anyone high and dry is to ensure that anything urgent is tasked out ahead of time. This is a great strategy for when you are planning vacations and know you will not be available.
Letting Go of the Concept of Perfection
The concept of perfection is commonly misconstrued in workplace settings. Many new members of the workforce step into their careers with the idea that they can and will be perfect at every task that is sent their way.
The motivation to be great on the job is key for overcoming obstacles and being successful in your field, but it is important to know that perfection should not be the goal. This is because perfection across the board is unattainable and striving to be perfect rather than great is a fast track to burnout.
In some of the worst cases, Daniel Menard finds that the idea of perfection can keep us from completing tasks for fear of making mistakes. We should strive to always do our best- but we should do so knowing that mistakes are possible.
Internalizing the idea of greatness instead of perfection will not only make you a better person to work with, but it will also keep you from being too hard on yourself when obstacles arise. Put your best foot forward, support your team, and trust that your best will be good enough!
