Striking the Right Work-Life Balance is a Key to Happiness On and Off the Job
Throughout one’s professional career, particularly in the entry-level stage and right after any advancements or promotions, they are often challenged with the pressures/stresses of balancing their work responsibilities with their personal and family time. All too often, these individuals place their work ahead of their families, acquiescing to the demands of their job, management, or employer in lieu of attending a social function, a child’s soccer game, or merely being home on time for supper with their family.
While much of this imbalance is likely driven by ambition, other pressures may come into play such as internal competition, unrealistic expectations, self-doubt, and even naivety. Whatever the cause/motivator might be, there can be serious repercussions with respect to a person’s health, happiness and family life – with no guarantees that their dedication and commitment to the job will produce the career upshots to which that person aspires.
This of course is an all-too-common scenario that can result from not having an effective work-life balance. By definition, the concept of work-life balance is the ability to find and maintain the correct prioritization between work (career, ambition) and personal lifestyle (family, health, leisure, pleasure, and spiritual). And although this concept likely makes complete sense in theory and on paper to most people in the workforce, it could be very difficult in everyday life to attain and practice such a balance.
Consequently, it may be beneficial for any/all individuals, regardless of where they are in their respective careers, to invest the time to assess the current state of their own work-life balance; better still, to get a more objective opinion and perspective, they may want to ask a colleague or a family member to provide their individual unbiased observations.
And if there appears to be a degree of disconnect (or an imbalance) or there are growing signs of a potential issue, the following 12 tips offered by the placement professionals at Winters Technical Staffing may be helpful in instituting or improving work-life balance:
- Avoid checking e-mail and voicemails after business hours
- Screen calls or texts to mobile phones during personal time
- Do not reply to e-mails/messages immediately upon receipt
- Learn to defer/say no to inconvenient/unremitting demands
- Work smarter, not longer and get a sufficient amount of sleep
- Make a list of tomorrow’s priorities – and leave them until then
- Focus on producing a high-quality outcome – but not perfection
- Concentrate on one’s own tasks – let other people do their jobs
- Take the time to recognize oneself and others for jobs well-done
- Slow down the daily pace – leave time in schedule to relax/breath
- Reduce stress/pressure through a hobby, exercise, or volunteering
- Engage friends and family to assist in maintaining work-life balance
There is a saying that few workaholics nearing the end of their natural lives will wish that they had spent more time at their office; this of course is a sarcastic way of articulating that it is too late by that time to regret the lack of work-life balance during their career.
Taking responsibility for establishing and maintaining an effective balance between work and personal lifestyle will be a key step to enjoying success and happiness on and off the job.
Look to a Professional Recruitment Agency When Considering a Career Change
Sometimes, finding the proper work-life balance might be impeded by one’s current work environment; in other words, there is a lack of ‘fit’ between a person and their employer. Under these circumstances, there can be a sizeable amount of stress on that employee which is not a healthy scenario for themselves or their colleagues, management, friends, and family.
To alleviate such unwholesome feelings, the immediate solution and hence the beginning of a better work-life balance might be to consider a job or career change. Through the extensive network of contacts developed with employers/companies by the consultants at Winters Technical Staffing, individuals looking for new employment opportunities can have access to positions that may not otherwise be advertised and/or made available to the general public; this in turn broadens the realm of possibilities and helps to enhance the probability of obtaining the type of job that best suits their professional and work-life balance needs.
As a leading recruitment agency for the past 45 years, Winters Technical Staffing has been successfully placing qualified people in harmonious work situations with employers in such industries as:
- Aerospace
- Electronics
- Automotive
- Engineering
- Construction
- Supply Chain
- Manufacturing
- Pharmaceuticals
Please visit to learn more about the types of job opportunities currently available through the team from Winters Technical Staffing and to join their talent network.
Contact Winters Today
Considering a job or career change as a means of developing or refocusing your work-life balance? Call the job placement specialists from Winters Technical Staffing in Toronto at 416-495-7422 today or contact us to request a no-obligation consultation about the potential opportunities available to help satisfy your needs.