Craft Focus - Page number 94 - October/November 2021 (Issue 87)

94 Achieving a good work-life balance There’s no pressure to find the perfect balance straight away. Just making a small change can be the difference between productive wellbeing and total burnout. Working hard, putting time and effort into your work and being available to respond to work-related issues are all important and commendable. But, pouring all of your energy and time into work and being ‘on’ 100 per cent of the time will lead to stress. And other parts of your personal life, family time, social events, hobbies, will be neglected. There’s more to life than work after all. In contrast, maintaining a good work- life balance has been found to improve overall happiness and wellbeing. Happy employees are more efficient and more productive, and as an employer, promoting a work-life balance within your business will contribute towards creating a healthy work environment, improving morale and reducing stress. So, keeping a good work-life balance, dividing the time spent on work and on your personal life, is essential for your health, wellbeing and career. But how to achieve it? • Set priorities : Try to simplify your schedule to prioritise each element according to its importance whether in your work life or personal life. This will help to clear your mind to focus on what is important rather than what is immediately in front of you • Time management : Set yourself a specific time to focus on tasks according to their priority. Focusing on one task at a time means you’ll perform better on that particular task rather than trying to do three things at once • Delegate : You don’t have to do everything yourself! If time pressure means you’re overworking to meet deadlines then it’s time to delegate. As well as taking pressure off, asking others to support with elements of your workload promotes a collaborative and co-operative environment • Set time aside for yourself : Setting a boundary between your work and personal life is important. Whether it’s spending quality time with your family, having fun with your favourite hobby, or just kicking back and relaxing. Taking time for something that makes you happy will mean you’re energized and ready for work when you return. • Be flexible : A work-life balance is just that − a balance. It will be constantly changing and shifting according to what’s going on in your world! If one week you have more work commitments to meet don’t worry − life is full of ups, downs and unexpected challenges • Learn to say no! This is easier said than done but avoid biting off more than you can chew. Taking on a workload that you can’t complete means you’ll feel stressed and won’t feel like you’ve done your best. This applies to obligations in your personal life as well − don’t be afraid to say no to demands on your time Finally, everyone’s work-life balance will look different. And it will change as your life changes, whether it’s raising children, buying a home or career progression your priorities and obligations will look different. So, try not to compare yourself to others! Finding the perfect work-life balance can seem like an impossible task. For some people, it can even feel hard to find the time to sit down and think about it! Sara Davies gives her sound advice… Sara Davies MBE is founder of Crafter’s Companion.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=