Better work-life balance

Key strategies to help achieve a better work-life balance

All work and no play goes well beyond just making Jack a dull boy. While happiness plays a big part, things like health, productivity, relationships and even job enjoyment also become critical factors.

Striking the right balance can often be a challenge for all manner of reasons or circumstances. But the pluses are far too many to ignore and certainly outweighs the idea of a one-sided affair.

With a little harmony between your work and personal life and some sound work-life balance strategies in place, good things can begin to happen. You’ll start to feel less stressed, your mental health and physical health will improve, you’ll be more present and your relationships will grow stronger, your creativity is boosted and you’ll be more engaged, more productive and happier at work. Ultimately you’ll feel content.

So here are a few helpful tips on how to create a better work-life balance.

Plan and prioritise your work and personal to-do list to help get the ball rolling.

Having so much on your plate with work life, home life and personal life all whirring around, it’s no wonder things can get a little overwhelming at times. An important key to creating better balance is managing and prioritising your time. So get it off your plate, get it onto a list and it becomes easier to make a plan.

List out your top priorities that need your attention with work, home and your personal time. Take a good long look at your time audit. Think about what you need to start doing, stop doing or continue doing, do more of, do less of or do differently. And that can be all about balancing the level of both importance and urgency.

Set the goals you want to achieve and keep a check on how they’re going. Put time in your daily schedule, plan out your week and commit. It may be a little bumpy at first but you’ll soon get into a rhythm.

Do more of what you love on your free time and make it count

When it comes to your me-time, make every precious second count. Of course it’s fine to plop on the couch for a bit, but doing something you love when you have some time out does a lot more than just putting a big smile on your face.

Switching off from work and turning on the pursuits you’re passionate about is actually good for your physical and mental wellbeing as it helps you to destress. It boosts your confidence, you perform better at work, you feel empowered, become more mindful and it can even improve your brainpower.

Whether it’s a sport, creative pursuit, any manner of hobby, lending your skillset for the greater good or whatever, giving some time to doing what you love goes a long way to help create a better work life balance.

Nurture relationships with friends and family helps build your resilience

Family is everything. Friends are up there too. Their love and support help you cope with stress and build resilience. Your loved ones can be some of your greatest sources of inner satisfaction and contentment, so giving priority to your positive relationships can encourage greater levels of fulfilment. Knowing you have their support enables you to feel more productive and empowered to tackle whatever comes your way at work.

So, make time. Do whatever together. Hit the park, head out to dinner, see a movie, attend a game, get away for the weekend. The quality time you spend will pay you back tenfold.

YOUR LOVED ONES CAN BE SOME OF YOUR GREATEST SOURCES OF INNER SATISFACTION AND CONTENTMENT, SO GIVING PRIORITY TO YOUR POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS CAN ENCOURAGE GREATER LEVELS OF FULFILMENT.

Take a holiday, come back energised

Holidays are one of the staples of creating a better work-life balance. It’s one of the best ways to switch off and recharge your batteries. And it doesn’t have to mean grabbing a few weeks, jumping on a plane and heading OS.

Even a simple weekend getaway can do wonders. Smaller regular holidays also do the trick. You come back happier, energised, more focussed and actually perform better at work.

However you want to get away, your American Express® Card can help. Earning Membership Rewards Points with every dollar you spend on purchases can actually go toward your next getaway. And if you book your holiday through American Express Travel Online you can look forward to a host of benefits, like no booking fees which might mean having a little extra for a fancy meal out while you’re away.

Your flights and stays at places all around Australia can all count toward building your points balance.

These tips are just a few ways to help you get started. The more time you put into creating a better work-life balance, the more you will get out of it.

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