Network September 2016

Maintaining a happy...
Work & home life balance
Conflict between work and family life is one of
the most common sources of stress for
working adults. In this productivity-driven
society that we are living in, more and more
people are finding it hard to adequately fulfill
their roles both at home and at the workplace.
More often than not, workers are unable to find
a point of balance between their careers and
their families - there is always one that is given
more priority than the other. This behavior has
been associated with a number of
dysfunctional outcomes - strained familial
relationships, inefficiency at work, and poor
physical and mental health.
More and more people find themselves working
in roles that could be considered “always on”
jobs. Millions of people struggle with an equal
balance of work and home life, including
employers who feel the pressure to keep staff
happy and healthy at all times whilst still
hitting targets. We probably all know a certain
someone who had a “never leave for tomorrow
what you can get done today” sign. To help
strike the right balance, here are some ways to
achieve and maintain life-work balance.
Be open about your needs
Identify what matters to you and communicate
it. Don’t hide it and don’t expect others to guess
what makes you feel balanced and fulfilled. Do
you need to leave work at 5pm so you can have
dinner with your family? Do you need to step
away at 12pm to attend a yoga class? Everyone
can benefit from having an honest conversation
about what balance means.
Respect boundaries
You cannot achieve your balance if you don’t
respect the boundaries you have put in place.
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