Need a little more work life balance? Don’t we all..! Grab a cuppa and take a moment to read our top tips. It’s time to take charge of your well-being.
Set boundaries
The lines between work and home have never been more blurred. Technology is great at connecting us, but sometimes we are a little too connected. Just because you can be contacted 24/7, it doesn’t mean that you need to be available 24/7. Most of the time when we are contacted outside work hours, it can wait till the next day.
Have honest and clear communications with your colleagues – perhaps committing to no weekend work unless there is an emergency. Experiment with turning on a ‘do not disturb’ for phone calls, turn off notifications for emails / messages, set a routine like putting your phone away after dinner and resist the temptation to check emails before bed.
Prioritise sleep
The latest research on sleep is in and it turns out that sleep is the new kale. Sleep boosts immunity, improves concentration and enhances mood and productivity. Poor sleep is linked to chronic health conditions (including greater risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes) and depression. Yikes.
Frustratingly, you often sleep the worst when you are stressed and have a lot on. These are the times when you need to prioritise sleep the most. Set good sleep hygiene habits – don’t drink any caffeinated beverages or alcohol late in the day, avoid blue screens and try to keep a regular schedule of going to bed and getting up at the same time.
If you brain feels like it’s racing, try writing a to do list to let go of the churning thoughts and reset with a short meditation. This can be as simple as breathing in for 4 seconds, holding it for 2 seconds and out slowly for 6 seconds. Repeat this breath work a few times. You can learn more about sleep meditation on the Netflix series by Headspace.
Dedicate down time
Got a jam packed schedule? Block in some regular down time and do not replace it with something ‘more important’. Nothing is more important than your own mental health. Even 15 minutes for a brisk walk or a 5 minute meditation can do wonders. Avoid taking a break by looking at your phone, scrolling is the ultimate time thief.
Work smarter not harder
What if we told you that working a 4 day week is as productive, if not more productive than a 5 day working week? Trials of a 4 day work week in Iceland from 2015 and 2019 have been heralded an ‘overwhelming success’, with workers reporting they feel less stressed, less at risk of burnout, and that their health and work-life balance had improved. Best yet, productivity remained the same or improved in the majority of workplaces, researchers said.
Being busy shouldn’t be a badge of honour. It can be very powerful to take a step back and analyse where your time goes, finding the inefficiencies in your schedule. As the saying goes – ‘work smarter not harder’.
For example, are you saying yes to too many meetings? Meetings are renowned for being inefficient and unproductive. Think how many weekly 1 hour meetings are scheduled to tick a box. Just it’s not just a cost of 1 hour to the business, if you have 8 participants that’s 8 hours! Always have a clear agenda for discussion and set the tone with what outcomes are needed from the meeting. Always ask yourself, will this meeting add value to the business?
Take more mini breaks
Can’t take a week off? Take a weekend instead. Or even a day trip! We regularly arrange aircraft hire for cheeky day trips to beautiful locations like wineries. Zip out on an air charter, enjoy, and be home the same day!
Take advantage of the flexibility and work the day around your schedule – no ‘red eye’ early flights, no wasting time waiting around in airports. When time matters most, an air charter service is the answer!
We hope these tips can help you to achieve a little more work life balance. If we can assist you with planning a mini getaway, please contact us for an air charter instant price estimate.
