Finding the perfect balance between life and work can be tough... especially when your job creates a blurred line between the two. A balanced work-life brings along many benefits, so here are a few tips to help.
What Is Work-Life Balance?
Work-life balance is how you spend your time and focus between work and life. Some are able to split this quite evenly, finding time for both work and enjoying leisurely activities, whilst others can struggle by spending:
Too much time on work- Whilst this can reap benefits such as more money and promotions, it can mean less time enjoying these benefits and lead to burnout.
Or too much time on leisurely activities- Whilst this may seem fun at first, over time it can become boring and you might feel a lack of purpose, leading to anxiety and depression. As well as this, you might begin to struggle financially.
Sometimes, creating a good work-life balance can be a struggle for autistic people. Some may find they are hyper-focused on one aspect and less on the other, and this can change from day to day. One day your hyper-focused on work and the next on a leisurely activity- such as a game.
Benefits of A Good Work-Life Balance
Having a good work-life balance can lead to many benefits in your life. These include:
Enjoying Life and Work
Focusing on work can lead to burnout whilst focus on free time can lead to boredom. Once you find the right balance between the two, you may begin to find your enjoying both work and life more, appreciating the different elements they bring to your life.
Promotes Wellbeing
As most people can attest, over working can lead to lots of stress and anxiety in life. Balancing your time at work with leisurely time (whether this is with friends, family, or some alone time) can help relieve this stress and promote you to enjoy life.
More Productive
Once you've found a good balance you may find that you become more productive. By not spending all your time on work, you'll find your able to spend more time doing activities you enjoy, like finishing that book you started a few months ago. You will also find your more refreshed & productive for work since you are taking the necessary rest you need.
Businesses
As well as benefiting individuals, it also beneficial for businesses! Employees with a good work-life balance are more motivated and productive, have a higher retention rate, and have lower levels of stress and absences.
5 Tips To Help
Here are a few tips to help you develop a good work-life balance!
1. Define Your Work Hours
Defining your work hours, with yourself and your boss, helps a lot in creating a good work-life balance. By creating this boundary, you are letting yourself and others know that between these hours you are available to discuss and take part of work activities. Outside of these hours is time for yourself that should not be burdened with work... As tempting as it is, don't check your work emails during your free time.
2. Find Activities You Enjoy
If you don't have a hobby, free time can become boring. This can be a reason why some people spend more time at work. So, try to find a hobby or something you enjoy... for example:
Reading
Sports
Gaming
Painting & Drawing
Join an Activities Group
3. Turn Off The Electronics and Get Outside!
This can be tough for a lot of us, but is important for making the most of your free time to reap the benefits. Set hours in your personal time free from any electronics and enjoy some outdoor time. Fresh air has been known to bring many benefits such as giving you more energy and a better mental focus, as well as reducing stress and promoting your wellbeing.
4. Stop the Time Wasting
We all have activities in our lives that are time wasting, from spending hours scrolling through TikToK to playing that one phone game. As fun as these are, they do end up wasting a lot of time without even realising it. So, try to limit these to make the most out of your time at work and leisurely time.
5. Day or Night
Most jobs require people to work during the day, but others jobs can be more flexible. As long as your doing your job, the businesses doesn't mind what hours you choose to work. These jobs can be great for autistic people who find they work and focus better during certain hours. Try to figure out which hours of the day you are most focused and set those times aside for work.