How excited were you when you held your first smart smartphone? With so many devices suddenly compacted into one screen, and a wealth of knowledge and communication at your very fingertips, the opportunities appeared limitless. And they still are, to a certain extent. However, the technology hasn’t been without its negativity. How many times have you checked your work email upon waking, or spent a few hours web-surfing, instead of sleeping? Here are several simple ways to manage your work-life balance:
Play to your strengths, and priorities
Yes, technology does make the world more accessible. And indeed, it does give you the chance to do and learn more than possibly ever before. But you’re still human. You have ambitions, talents, and weaknesses too. Don’t lose track of the things you want to achieve, or become sidetracked by projects you didn’t set out on. The world may feel suddenly smaller, with the advent of modern digital technologies, but without saying ‘no’ occasionally, you might not enjoy as many ‘YES!’ moments.
Manage your mind, body and soul
Or just the first two, if you’re not sure the third one exists. If this is the case, another way to approach it is by envisaging your happiness, or even just your ‘you’, as existing somewhere between your mental and physical health. Sometimes it’s more physically drained, on other occasions it’s mentally exhausted. But both faculties must be equally addressed to ensure the ephemeral third can thrive. Even occasional exercise, and a regular audit of your mental wellbeing – especially in the workplace – will keep you on target to live well, both in and out of work.
Get a second opinion, in real time
It would be easy to advise you to put down your smartphone, and allot time to all of your tech. But this is easier said than done. As the technology is now ubiquitous, giving it up could actually create more problems than it would solve. But instead, by using it more effectively, everybody has the opportunity to see their wellbeing laid out in front of them, at all times. Use the data from your mobile device to set goals, reach targets, or take note of anything you would like to address.
And encourage others to do the same
According to People Management, 65 per cent of people surveyed felt that technology has a role to play in their health and wellbeing – but 38 per cent did not trust their employer to use the data it collects to benefit them. So, have you thought about encouraging your employer to use data more effectively? Or, if you run a business, tapping into the wealth of data available to you by using the latest innovation in keeping a healthy work-life balance? The Employee Assistance Programme from Lifeworks is a way for businesses to build communities within their own workforce, and access the data generated to improve the wellbeing of every user. This technology simplifies the manageability of wellbeing, by grouping several applications together – making the work-life balance more tangible for every employer and employee who registers.