There’s been a growing trend in “quiet quitting” in the last 12 months, which essentially saw people do what was absolutely necessary for their role, and putting no more time or effort in beyond that.
It’s an interesting term, that perhaps says more about how unhealthy our work-life balance was prior to that, rather than the fact people are no longer willing to do overtime or invest in their work outside of contracted working hours.
Our work-life balance is so important in maintaining a healthier lifestyle. You see so many people run down because of work, finding solace in alcohol or drugs, particularly in certain industries like hospitality.
That can end up being an endless cycle of horror, having to endure the alcohol rehab cost just to get back on the wagon before getting back to the stresses of work.
So, that’s why you should make 2024 the year you rediscover your worklife balance by taking up a few of these tips…
Table of Contents
Give up the booze
We’ll kick off with alcohol. While it’s not a problem for everyone, so many of us turn to it to cope, but that ultimately leaves you with less time to do the things you love, it means you’ll turn up to work hungover more frequently, meaning you have to commit to longer hours to do your work.
It just doesn’t work. By quitting alcohol, or at the very least reducing your intake, you’ll feel fresher and healthier, have an improved mood, be more productive at work, and have more time outside of it to do the things you love. It really can make that much of a difference.
Learn to say “no”
It’s not the easiest skill to learn but it is so important in establishing boundaries. A good tool to use for learning this and helping you understand the value of “no” is using the Eisenhower Matrix, the gist of it being that by saying “no” to things that are less of a priority will give you more time to say “yes” to those things that are important to you.
This is so vital in finding a work-life balance, and will ensure you don’t miss anything important in your homelife by doing a menial task that can wait until the morning at work.
Make use of your lunch break
Your lunch break is your own time, and therefore you can establish some of your life within it rather than being chained to your desk and working on things that are mentally taxing. You need to refresh and recharge during lunch, whether that be taking the time out to enjoy a meal away from a screen, or making the most of the hour to exercise, which again, is great for reducing stress and realigning your brain for an afternoon of work.
In fact, working exercise into your day at any point can be hugely useful in creating a work-life balance and reducing stress in your life.