Wellness at Work: Work/Life Balance

When I finished my university degree last year, I  wholeheartedly felt ready to start working full time. However, I didn’t realise how difficult it would be transitioning from university life to working full-time in a PR agency. Especially, considering I spent two years of my degree affected by COVID-19 in lockdown and working from home for my part-time job. I never considered work/life balance as a skill you needed to thrive with a full-time job. So, I wanted to offer some learnings on how to manage wellness in the workplace with a focus on work/life balance.

Since we are now on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic , many of us are pleased to be out and about travelling the world again. However, when it comes to our work/life balance we have adapted to working from home (WFH) five days a week in lockdown to now heading back into the office more. The positive of the lockdown is that many workplaces now offer hybrid working environments, although the downside is that we have forgotten how to have a good work/life balance. With 45% of Aussies feeling that the line between their work and personal life has been blurred since the pandemic. In addition, employees have felt the expectation to work longer hours finding it difficult to have physical cues when to finish work for the day.  

A lack of positive work/life balance can  have a significant impact  your mental health, isolating you to your work conditions, and can increase your overall stress. Ultimately, it has been proven to be  beneficial when your workplace is considerate of their employee’s work/life balance. Employers will see boosts in productivity, less sick leave being taken, and staff are noticeably more engaged in the team and office.  When you hear someone say that they have a great work/life balance you might find yourself groaning and thinking to yourself, who doesn’t? Well,  I have created a list of questions to ask yourself to check in to see if you really are doing as well as you think in creating a good work/life balance.

  • Do you read your work emails after you have logged off for the day?
  • If you take a day of leave or a sick day, do you find yourself checking in on your colleagues or employees?
  • Are you able to find time to work out or enjoy hobbies?
  • Do you often feel too tired to catch up with friends or for self-care?

If you answer yes to at least two of them, you might need to check in on your work/life balance and follow my three tips below to help improve it before you create negative habits.

TIP 1: Setting those Boundaries

Boundaries are key to the work/life balance. Take that time to rest for your lunch even if you take your lunch as a walk with a colleague or if you choose to read your book while having your food. With one in three Aussies not taking their lunch break it is important to prioritise taking that time out of the day for yourself. Overtime can be expected in PR Agencies, and it is a good idea for your employer to be flexible and negotiate the possibility of time in lieu for overtime or remuneration for your employees. This will encourage your employees to feel valued for the extra time they offer to your company. A recent concern with Aussie employees has been around WFH, and how to switch off when the day is done. Some tips would be to turn on out-of-office for emails and turn off all messaging platforms like Teams or Slack. If possible, have a separate working space from your main home areas so that your brain doesn’t associate the area with work, especially if your workplace is a stressful environment.

TIP 2: Nurture your Life

It’s easy to go about your 9-5 life then months pass and you realise you have not caught up with your mates – take the time to focus on your friendships. It is helpful to plan ahead and set either regular times to meet up, or if you meet infrequently ensure you are switching off devices to be considerate to the friendship. By consistently checking your phone while you’re with your friends you are letting them know that their time is not valuable to you. When you leave work for the day it is a good idea to turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ as this will limit the number of notifications and will stop your attention from being pulled away.

If you have to, it can be beneficial to schedule free time for yourself and when you can exercise. As a PR Agency, we know that many of us are in the office from 9-5 and seated at a desk, with little opportunity to move around. It is invaluable for your mental health to include some form of physical movement in your life, if you find an exercise you love or even just remembering to hop up from your desk. You will see improvements in your productivity and mental health just to remember to take that time out for yourself. It is easy to fall into the routine of getting up, going to work, going home, and sleeping. If you squeeze in some exercise in your calendar before the daily grind of work begins you will be grateful to your future self. Agent Eva has influenced the office to start the day strong with Pilates before work as it allows you to not have to worry about exercising post-work when you might be feeling more fatigued.

TIP 3: TREAT YOURSELF

A reminder that it is your life you are living, and you need to remember that your health and care are important. It is easy to forget that you should be the most important aspect of your life, if you neglect yourself, you are the one to suffer. Take the time in your day to enjoy the warm sun and listen to a podcast on your lunch break to break away from the screens. Another option for self-care is planning for a nice solo night post-work to look forward to, to name a couple of ideas, Agent Kath likes to organise a massage after work to end the working day on a relaxed note. Alternatively, Agent Em likes to do her own nails while watching TV after work. Doing these little things for yourself will help build the life aspect around your chaotic working schedule.

The team have been adding new blogs to the new hub weekly with a new focus on Wellness in the Workplace. We want to start the year off strong and help make suggestions where we can help everyone bring a positive start to their workplace. Take a look here at some of the other blogs that have been written.

If you are keen to get started on your PR for 2023 and want a great team to help you position yourself ahead of your competitors in your field, please contact the Agent99 Team today to see how we can help you.

Agent Claire

PR Agency Sydney

PR Agency Sydney

PR Agency Sydney

PR Agency Sydney

PR Agency Sydney

PR Agency Sydney

PR Agency Sydney