ing from it. It becomes dangerous however when work takes over. Stress is the common denominator of many killer diseases; heart disease, obesity, depression and stroke. While success in the workplace is a source of huge satisfaction, being overzealous about the accounts or fanatical about sales can be damaging your health and happiness. Here are a few tips to ensure that you don’t overdo yourself by overdoing your career.
- Work/Life Balance
Stay late – Sometimes
Sure it is necessary to do overtime in some circumstances. It is not necessary however, to stay late every day. If you can’t resist, aim to have at least one completely work free evening in your working week. Commit yourself to something else such as a sport or reconnecting with friends. You might feel bad leaving early but it will feel even worse letting your mates down.
Take a Break
Another bug bear in the office these days is the assumption by many that taking a break is a sign of weakness. Remember, food is fuel and fuel is necessary to function properly. Grafting at the computer all day is not big and not clever and will actually result in lower productivity. If you really have no time to take a lunch break, at least ensure that you bring some nutritional food that you can gobble at your desk. You can even box up your leftovers from last night’s dinner; quick, easy and no excuse for surviving on several long blacks.
Enough is enough
Learn to say no. If you feel that too much work is being piled on your desk, do not be scared to say it. There is no point taking on more than you can handle and this weight on your shoulders will cause stress. Your boss is probably more understanding than you think so don’t be afraid to have the chat with them. Admitting you are struggling with your workload does not make you incompetent so speak up. Delegate where possible. Is there someone in a less pressurised position that could take some of the load off for you? Maybe you can work out something with a colleague. Offer to return the favour in their time of stress.
Time Management
This is fundamental in making the most of your working day. It is incredible how busy we lead ourselves to believe, yet productivity is often low due to mismanagement of every precious minute. Evaluate the work on your desk and sort by priority. Most people are more alert and proactive in the morning so perhaps this is the best time to do the toughest jobs. Save the latter part of the day for the less important but still necessary tasks such as filing. Jobs like this are monotonous and not very stimulating so might be better to do when you feel that bit more tired and do not require as much brain capacity.
Have some Fun
It is pivotal that you form relationships with your peers. A high pressure work environment can be exacerbated by a sense of loneliness. Sharing work related stresses and other grievances with workmates are very important in nurturing a sense of community in the office to take off the clinical edge that employment sometimes entails. Camaraderie helps us to remember that outside our job roles we are still human beings with needs that lay outside our career sphere.
Exercise
Exercise always rears its head in feel good articles; quite literally because it makes us feel good. A brisk walk or a swim after a hard day can help ebb away mental tensions and aid a good night’s sleep.
These are a couple of ideas to help one enjoy a better work/life balance. Can you think of anymore?
