We all know that person who always has their work done on time and even manages to leave early a few days. But the reality for a lot of us is that we work overtime. As an employer, you have a duty to ensure that your employees have a healthy work-life balance. You might think these extra hours are going to benefit your organization, but in reality, they‘re probably going to harm productivity.
Here are some causes for poor work-life balance within your organization.
You don’t have structure
Make sure you have a hierarchy of goals. Know your top-level values and priorities and how to connect key aspects of your life, such as work, school, and relationships. Not having any structure will hurt both your productivity at work and your balance at home.
You never say no to your job
Once you have set clear targets, give yourself the freedom to say no to things that are not of high value. Sometimes that means saying no to something that’s good, but it’s coming up at the wrong time. Sometimes that just means not to say anything without explanation.
You have no hobbies
The world is a horrible, beautiful, and exciting place. There are so many things to do. You can’t do it all, but you can experiment with different hobbies to stretch yourself, find something you really enjoy and increase your creativity.
Checking emails late into the night
Checking emails throughout the day is a sure sign that you’re not promoting healthy habits. This prevents you from focusing on the most important parts of your work. Doing so late at night when you need to focus on other aspects of your life prevents you from having any kind of balance in your life.
You aren’t exercising
Study after study shows that exercise is critical to long-term physical and mental health. If you’re working so hard that you don’t exercise at all, then sit down and evaluate your time honestly. Make your health a priority.
You work all of the time
Work is good and it’s healthy. However, when it becomes the thing that consumes your life, you may be about to burn out. Make sure your current working hours are sustainable. If you don’t, set a cut-off time when you commit to slowing down and breathing. Whether it’s taking a vacation, lowering hours, or investing in a hobby.
You aren’t regularly sleeping
Sleep is critical to your overall health, and without proper sleep, you‘re not going to be as sharp at work, at home, or with your friends.
You’re always stressed
Whenever we don’t foster healthy habits, our body will respond with increased stress. It knows we’re out of whack and you’ll start to feel its effects. Stress can cause a lack of focus, energy, and depression.