How I practice work-life harmony: 5 tips for you
Techspace Senior Candidate Manager Lesha Grey recently published this article about achieving and maintaining work-life balance. We love what she has to say and wanted to share her helpful tips with you!
Work-life balance is a buzzword I’m sure we’re all familiar with, but achieving it can be challenging – especially when the demands of one part of our life starts tipping the scale. It’s easy to fall into the trap of putting work above everything else, especially when you work from home and don’t have a clear separation between your work and personal life.
Having a good work-life balance means achieving harmony with your job and other aspects of your life. The benefits gained from each area of your life support and strengthen the others.
For me, having a healthy work-life balance is important because it helps improve my mood and productivity and puts me in a better space to help my clients, candidates and colleagues.
Let’s explore the benefits of work-life balance and I’ll share some small steps I’ve taken to improve my own work-life balance.
1. Create a dedicated workspace
Whether it’s a home office, your kitchen countertop, or a corner of the dining table, having a dedicated work area is the most tangible way of separating your work life from your home life. I work 100% remotely, so this is important for me, especially in terms of ticking the health and safety box.
Having a good setup that promotes healthy working habits will help you commit to focusing solely on work. When you take a break or finish work for the day, you’ll find it easier to leave the stresses and pressures of your job behind and be present in your personal life.
2. Prioritise your health
Being my best requires me to exercise regularly. I always start my day by walking my dog and then having a healthy breakfast and a delicious cup of coffee before work. Taking some time out for yourself in the morning is one of the simplest, yet most effective way to build supportive actions into your day. It will also improve your overall mood, productivity, physical health and mental fitness.
It’s equally important for me to take care of my emotional well-being throughout the day and have fun while working! I love these tips from the Harvard Business Review on making work fun and joyful. One tip is to listen to music while you work to stay motivated. I get energised by playing a random Spotify playlist or popping on an interesting podcast.
3. Spend some time in the office
Working from home can be lonely, especially when your only form of contact with your clients and colleagues is through a screen. Travelling to Auckland to see my Techspace co-workers whenever I can is important to me, so I can feel connected to my workplace and continue to build valuable relationships.
Maintaining personal face-to-face touchpoints is especially important for our mental health, as connections and nurturing relationships can improve our health and increase longevity.
4. Set boundaries
Establishing clear boundaries is imperative when it comes to achieving a healthy work-life balance. Taking regular breaks away from your screen to refresh your thought process and having well-defined working hours (we know that this can be tricky, but try your best!) can help separate work from your personal life.
Whatever the circumstances, make sure to communicate openly and clearly with your manager and teammates. This will help manage their expectations and align your routine work alongside theirs. Eliminating unfeasible demands at times that work for you will also help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Setting boundaries is very important to me, especially because I want to ensure I’m not trading off any of the things that mean the most to me.
5. Do something for yourself
Investing time in a hobby or doing something that you enjoy is important to help you recharge your batteries. Schedule regular time off for yourself each week to do something like read a book, play sport, spend time in nature, or even just do nothing. This can help improve your mental clarity and wellbeing, which translates to a positive attitude.
Creating a healthy work-life balance is an ongoing and fluid process. It’s not a one-size-fits-all template, and we’re all going to be learning and adapting as our interests and circumstances change over time.
If you’re already doing something similar to what I’m doing, then rest assured you’re already on the right path to a good work-life balance!
About the author
Lesha Grey is a Senior Candidate Manager at Techspace. She has extensive recruitment experience, including a number of years in full 360 recruitment. She has worked across a variety of companies — from large to small — which has made her adaptable, flexible and a strong relationship builder.