The Importance of Maintaining a Work-life Balance

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is being able to separate your time between personal and professional without neglecting either side.

With the abundance of technology available to us nowadays we’re so connected and available which can have an equally positive and negative effect on our lives. Checking emails on our personal phones, the ability to log-on any time/place on laptops and the growing popularity of business networking on LinkedIn mean that it can sometimes feel difficult to escape and fully switch-off outside of work but also be a distraction inside the office with constant text, WhatsApp and social media notifications flashing on the screen.

Here at Unity Working, we champion a work-life balance and when creating our serviced office space, thought long and hard about the little touches that can help keep our clients on track. From the City location in Moorgate (and all the amenities it has to offer) all the way down to the seating in our breakout spaces, it was important for us to be able to provide space for our clients to enjoy time away from their desks, disconnect from what they’re doing and enjoy eating lunch, chatting with colleagues or catching up with social media, whatever it may be, without distraction. We decided to limit the power sockets in our breakout spaces to encourage more socialising and less working and love seeing our clients chat and be away from their screens in this space.

It’s the little things that make the biggest difference. A few small changes in habit can have a positive effect on both your mental and physical health, outside work relationships and career performance. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your personal life because of work, so we thought we’d share a few tips on how to better maintain a healthy balance:

• Leave the office on time.

When the clock strikes home time, finish that last sentence and get out of there! Of course, when there are deadlines looming this is not always possible but leaving the office on time will open up your evenings to more ‘me time’, socialising with friends, going to the gym or cooking a delicious dinner for yourself.

• Enjoy lunch away from your desk.

Breaks are there for a reason, they’re a time to step away from you’re doing and give your brain a rest. Your lunch hour is a great opportunity to let off some steam at the gym, meet up with friends or run the errands that you would usually waste time on at the weekend such as shopping or queueing at the post office. Our Moorgate location has plenty of gyms, shops and food outlets close-by make the most of during this time.

• Set boundaries.

Just because you are accessible outside of the office, doesn’t mean you should be. Don’t check/respond to emails or take work calls in the evening or at weekends, this is an unhealthy habit to get into. Setting boundaries with your colleagues and management will mean that your personal life is not invaded with calls and messages that really can wait until the next working day.

• Make the most of your annual leave.

It’s a necessity, not a luxury. Failing to use up your allocated holiday days can lead to feeling overworked and suffering from stress, anxiety or exhaustion. Sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Not to mention the fact that by skipping your annual leave means you are actually working for free… We’re not saying that you should be skipping off to the Caribbean every summer but ensuring you have some time off throughout the year will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed, benefitting both your personal and professional life.

• Be fully present during work hours.

It goes without saying that maintaining a healthy work-life balance is a two-way street. If you give your full, undivided attention during work hours – that means no checking the group chat, scrolling Instagram at your desk or taking excessive cigarette/coffee breaks – there should be no reason for feeling guilty about putting into action our above points.