We all know the benefits of a healthy work-life balance by now: improved mental and physical wellbeing, a better social life, increased creativity, productivity, job satisfaction and more. But with a quarter of Brits working more than 40 hours a week, we still have a long way to go. According to a survey by PaymentSense, 38% of workers across the UK say they worry about work being completed while on annual leave, and 59% admitted their work negatively impacts day-to-day life.
Recent research for TV series, Mars, also revealed one in six busy Brits can’t remember when last they had a little time to do something they really want to. When asked what top 40 activities they’d enjoy if days were longer, overworked adults named getting some sleep, reading a book, having ‘me’-time, going for a walk and listening to music as their top five, while work sank to 37th on the list.
To improve your work-life balance next year, find out how you can double your downtime and strategically book a few annual leave days in advance, according to Instant Offices:
Maximise your holiday leave in 2019
January 2019
Take a 6-day holiday by booking 3 days off (1 Jan – 6 Jan)
April
Take a 10-day holiday by booking 4 days off (13 Apr – 22 Apr)
May
Take a 9-day holiday by booking 4 days off (4 May – 12 May)
May/June
Take a 9-day holiday by booking 4 days off (25 May – 2 June)
August/Sept
Take a 9-day holiday by booking 4 days off (24 Aug – 1 Sept)
December 2019 – January 2020
Take a 16-day holiday by booking 7 days off (21 Dec – 5 Jan)
The benefits of mid-year breaks for a healthy work-life balance
Working smarter, not harder
When you’re overworked or overwhelmed it’s easy to fall into the habit of ‘always working’ rather than working smart. It’s vital to be able to switch off from work for a while and use downtime to socialise with loved ones, not only to relax your mind but to reset your attention span, improve happiness and renew your creative focus.
Avoid burnout
Feeling inefficient, exhausted, anxious, disengaged, cynical and even excessively critical of yourself at work are all signs of burnout. Before reaching this extreme point in your career, it’s essential to take preventative measures, and one of the best ways to do this is by taking strategic and regular breaks. By taking the time to focus on physical and mental health, it enables you to bring your A-game at work.
Reset your work/life balance
Setting clear boundaries so that work stress doesn’t spill over into everyday life can be difficult, but it’s imperative to push the off button and take a step back to focus on the things that really matter – travel, spending time with loved ones, improving yourself, helping others and…lots of napping!
Increase your value at work
Some companies place value in the ‘first to come in, last to leave’ style of working from their employees but, in truth, this culture only leads to burnout and reduced productivity over time. Rather than being the person who spends the most time at work, focus on being the person who brings the most value to each task by being sharp, thoughtful and enthusiastic.
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