6 Top Tips on Managing Work / Life Balance
Working in the Construction, Property & Engineering industry is fast-paced, and for many, a highly stressful industry to work in. Managing client expectations and keeping on track with projects doesn’t come easy and can take a toll on your mental wellbeing. Being able to achieve greater balance in your work life is crucial not only in helping maintain your health, but contributing to you performing in the job you love.
Here are our top tips for maintaining your wellbeing at work:
Get some Fresh Air!
One easy step to take towards achieving a better work life balance is simply taking your lunch break. Leaving the office for an hour, going for a walk, taking a gym class and getting some fresh air are all great ways of clearing your head and resetting for the afternoon.
Get in the Zone
Meditation and mindfulness have received mixed reviews, but being able to be ‘present’ in the moment and detach from external stressors has been proven to reduce stress levels, sharpen concentration, improve sleep, enhance feelings of happiness and help manage anxiety. If you’re new to mindfulness a great place to start is by downloading a wellbeing app and following their guided meditation programmes.
You can also try simple deep breathing exercises to release tension and lower your heart rate – set aside five minutes when you get home or just before bed to help you switch off from your manic day in the office or on site.
Get Active
Mental health charities have drawn strong links between running and better mental health, with many experiencing a reduction in anxiety, depression and OCD symptoms. Besides helping improve your overall fitness, running plays an important role in clearing your mind, and can be a great way to get those nagging work worries out of your head.
Yoga is also great for channelling your inner ‘zen’ and reducing every day stress, encouraging you to concentrate on your breathing, and release tension through a series of movements. There are thousands of yoga apps, YouTube tutorials and gyms offering classes, so wherever you’re based you will find help getting in the zone.
Ask for Support
Asking for support when you’re stacked with work isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s just common sense. Overloading yourself with work in fear of seeming weak, unable to meet targets and ’behind‘ your colleagues will only increase your stress and make you less able to successfully perform your job. If you find that you’re constantly fighting an uphill battle with your work load it’s probably the case that you’re being overloaded or your line manager isn’t aware that too much is being expected.
Talking to your manager and using one-to-ones to share that you could benefit from support may feel difficult but will prove valuable in the long-term in ensuring you have the support needed to get your job done without losing your mind.
Make the most of Employee Benefits
Free yoga classes, monthly massage therapies, on-site counsellor visits, employee support lines. These are a few of the benefits that forward thinking companies have started offering with the aim of helping their teams maintaining positive wellbeing. If your company is one of these, make sure you take full advantage of the benefits available to you.
Manage the time you spend on your Phone
Sending emails or messages long after you’ve left the office? Checking emails or messages before bed and as soon as you wake up? Being able to switch off from work during your free time is vital in ensuring that you are able to maintain any semblance of positive wellbeing.
Set yourself time limits on checking your emails, with a clear cut off time that is held as sacred.