Why You Need a Work-Life Balance

The rise in technology combined with the COVID-19 pandemic showed us that we could work wherever and whenever we wanted. However, just because you can work whenever doesn’t mean you should. Read Chisholm Law Firm’s blog to learn why you need a work-life balance.

What is a work-life balance?

Work-life balance is challenging to define since it looks different for everyone. However, it boils down to achieving and enjoying something every day. So, work-life balance can mean meaningful daily achievement and enjoyment with work, family, friends, and yourself.

Or, work-life balance means that you feel fulfilled and content in all areas of your life. Another definition says balance looks like having enough time to meet work and family commitments and non-work responsibilities and activities. 

Because there are so many definitions, you may benefit from taking bits and pieces of the term and blending them to suit your needs. You may also benefit from selecting tools that work best for you and adapting them to your needs. 

Why is a work-life balance important?

Developing a solid work-life balance is essential for several reasons. You may develop health issues, relationship problems, and trouble at work without a good balance. Let’s discuss how it affects you. 

Health

When you start to balance your time, you’re not only investing in your mental health – you’re investing in your physical health as well. Lack of a work-life balance can lead to chronic stress, which only brings more health complications. 

The symptoms of chronic stress include insomnia, a change in appetite, increased alcohol or drug use, a change in social behavior, and more. Chronic stress is also linked to hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, depression, heart attacks, and strokes. 

Relationships

An unbalanced life can also lead to problems in your relationships. When you cannot separate your work from your personal life, you may not be able to give your loved ones what they need. You may also have a hard time fully focusing on them.

Without a work-life balance, you may also have trouble in your work relationships. A strained employee has a harder time dealing with high-pressure situations and may lash out at coworkers, managers, or customers.   

Work

Being unbalanced can cause problems at work as well. When looking at an organization, employees without a healthy work-life balance lack creativity, are less engaged, and lose their creativity.

Increased stress from an unbalanced life can also lead to burnout, which causes more problems at work. Symptoms of burnout include fatigue, mood swings, irritability, and a decrease in work performance. So by not developing a healthy work-life balance, you may end up harming your work life and your personal life.

How do you develop a work-life balance?

Now that we’ve defined the term and discussed its importance, let’s look at five steps you can take to develop a work-life balance. Think of the balance as a cycle instead of an achievement you can reach. Remember that this personal experience requires an individualized plan.

Pause

If you don’t have a good work-life balance, you may benefit from taking a long pause and looking within yourself. Try to figure out what is causing your stress and how it impacts your life, priorities, and sacrifices. 

Reflect

After taking a pause and increasing your awareness, you should reflect on your emotions. Are you energized and satisfied? Or are you resentful and bitter? When you’re better able to understand your emotions, you will be able to determine the changes you need to make.  

Reprioritize

The next step involves reprioritizing your wants and needs. Try to understand what you’ve prioritized and if it needs to be adjusted. Redefining what you’re willing to sacrifice will help create a healthier work-life balance.

Consider

Once you’ve looked at your priorities, it’s time to consider what can be adjusted. If you want to spend more time with your family, you may need to adjust the amount of work you do when you get home. Developing a work-life balance requires lots of trial and error, but it is well worth it. 

Implement

The last step of developing a work-life balance is the culmination of everything before it. Once you’ve paused, reflected on your emotions, reprioritized your needs, and considered your options, it’s time to implement meaningful change. 

Speak to an Expert

Developing a work-life balance is crucial to your success and the success of your nonprofit. Remember that it this a personal journey, and that developing a balance is a lifelong cycle that you must continually work at. However, here at Chisholm Law Firm, we’re here to support you. 

Chisholm Law Firm has helped thousands of people start and grow nonprofits that impact the world. If you want the best for your nonprofit, look no further than Chisholm Law Firm. Our clients have a 100% success rate for nonprofit and trademark filings*.

You can rest assured that your nonprofit is in the best hands and that we’ll get everything done right the first time. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.

It shouldn’t be this hard to be a superhero. 

*Past results do not determine future outcomes.