Where Do You Draw the Line Between Work and Home?
Working during the Baby Boomer generation was hard. Jobs were scarce, and because people tended to stay in their jobs for extended periods to time, they often rose to stressful supervisory or leadership roles. Children of Baby Boomers took notice of these stress levels and the poor balance experienced by their parents, and wanted something different. Roles and priorities shifted and the term “work-life balance” became popular in the 1970s and 80s as these Gen Xers began to focus on creating a balance between their work life, home life, and other interests.
Technology almost derailed the work-life balance. Cell phones and email made it convenient for us to check back into work at any time, and easier for employers to reach us after hours. Without boundaries, where is the balance?
Today, work-life balance points towards a holistic way of living in which employees and employers strive for balance and integration of work and life into one experience. Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Gen Z generations (born between 1997 and 2012) “Are more interested in finding a career path that will support their lifestyle, and seeking jobs and employers that support that experience,” according to Forbes. “And with the millennial generation of workers projected to take up 75% of the workforce by 2025, many leaders think it’s time to redefine what work-life balance looks like.”
How Can We Create a Work-Life Balance?
There are a number of ways to implement a healthy work-life balance, among them the following:
Create a healthy work environment
Too much stress leads to physical and mental health issues and potential burnout. According to the Harvard Business Review, burned-out employees cost up to $190 billion a year in healthcare spending in the U.S. alone. A healthy work environment seeks to continually improve the health, wellbeing and safety of all workers in order to sustain the company’s productivity.
Encourage co-worker interactions
Relationships with co-workers can be fun and employers should look for ways to encourage participation in interactive activities both inside and outside the work environment. Invest in relationships by creating teams or mentorships, planning group lunches, and hosting after-hour get-togethers.
Put away technology
Because downtime is important, turn off technology and resist the urge to check or respond to messages and email after hours or while on vacation. Focus on quality time with family and friends. An added benefit: research shows that productivity flourishes after time off.
Practice self-care
With the stress of trying to keep up, anxiety and depression levels have skyrocketed. Self-care means taking care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally so that you are healthy enough to do your job well and enjoy life outside of work. This includes proper nutrition and rest, seeking medical care when needed, and reducing stressors.
Other ways to improve work-life balance include:
- Taking breaks and setting blocks of time
- Using the lunch break to “get away”
- Asking for flexibility
- Communicating boundaries
- Learning to say “no”
- Using technology to unplug
- Leaving work at a reasonable hour
- Taking time off
- Prioritizing quality time
Grow Your Business and Exercise Work-Life Balance with AEG
The Association for Enterprise Growth (AEG) focuses on creating trusted relationships that foster personal and business growth. As a member, you have access to a team of experienced business advisors and mid-market CEOs who provide insights on issues like work-life balance, and peer-to-peer networking opportunities with professionals like yourself. We believe that building interpersonal relationships helps connect us on a human-to-human level, and bonds a close community that helps strengthen your business. We’re always looking to “make things better” for everyone around us. It’s part of our core values.
To learn more about AEG or to become a member, contact us at info@enterprisegrowth.org.