Is The Only Way to Get a Better Work-Life Balance Through a New Job?

Fully two-thirds of workers say they don’t have a proper balance between their home lives and their office responsibilities. If you find yourself in that category, it can strain your family life, create significant stress and even lead to health problems. You need to rebalance your priorities.

But how do you get this done? Is a drastic approach your only option? Is the only way to get a better work-life balance through a new job?

The short answer: “no.” Plenty of ways exist to fix an unsustainable work-life balance short of finding another employer. Here are a few steps you can take:

Create Boundaries

Before the internet and the work-from-home revolution, workers created a starker division between home and the office. People could turn work off at quitting time, only to pick it up again on their next workday.

Things have changed. Now, workers find it hard to define a separation. Still, to get a good work-life balance, you need to take a retro approach. Get back some of that old partition between your 9-to-5 and your home life.

Achieving this goal requires boundaries. Set aside time entirely devoted to outside interests – family time, hobby time, time to just relax in front of Netflix, etc. Stay disciplined about these limits.

Don’t Feel Guilty About Vacation Days

An unbalanced work-life equilibrium doesn’t just come from external causes. Sure, your boss and you’re your coworkers can exert some peer pressure. But a lot of the push comes from you. You start to feel guilty about cashing in vacation days or even taking time for yourself in your off-hours.

Don’t feel guilty. A strong work-life balance ultimately makes you a better employee. You are more rested and relaxed, allowing you to increase your productivity. At the same time, you limit the risk of burnout, meaning you’ll be ready to contribute over the long haul.

Have a Heart-to-Heart with Your Boss

Don’t suffer alone. If you’re having trouble establishing a stable relationship between your work life and your home life, you should look around for allies. You might need help to restore balance.

If so, turn to your boss. They are best positioned to fix the problem. They can help you create a manageable schedule and minimize the amount of stress you have to bear.

Consider Your Options

Of course, you might need to seek out other employment opportunities if your work-life structure gets too skewed. Sometimes, the situation can’t be salvaged. Better to start looking for a more sustainable arrangement than to suffer indefinitely.

There’s good news, though. You don’t necessarily have to change employers. Often, you can switch to a new schedule or a new role in your current organization. Again, a conversation with your boss could lead to a solution.

Still, if you have gone as far as you can go in your current job, you do have other options. By contacting a strong staffing agency, like PrideStaff, you can find out other positions that better suit your lifestyle.

Contact PrideStaff Bend today to discover your best work-life mix.