It might be due to having ‘too much work on’. It could be it to hit a deadline. Or is due to staff shortages? Most of us are guilty of spending too much time at work more often than we’d care to admit. Whatever the reasons behind it, devoting too much of our lives at work often comes at the cost of our own personal wellbeing and sometimes mental health, too. But there are ways you can have a better work/life balance…
Being ‘at work’ comes in various forms. Often it will literally be on site, but time spent driving to or from a job is also work. So is carrying out any admin tasks which need doing. If the time you spend doing anything work-related starts to increase, then other things outside of work will start to get sacrificed – and that’s not healthy. Sacrifices might be anything from spending time with family, catching up with friends, or simply resting after a long day on a job.
The results of a bad work/life balance can be that relationships with family and friends suffer. Also, you might often feel tired and your overall health will suffer too. The following five tips provide useful ways that you can make the changes to have a better work/life balance:
- Create ‘to-do’ lists
By making a to-do list, you and your employees will know what the daily or weekly priorities are. A to-do list can streamline your workday, and should reduce the temptation to multitask. Your to-do list needs to be followed, however, so make sure it’s realistic. It’s a good habit to tick things off the list – this will help you see the progress you’ve made.
- Find time just for you
Another part of correcting your work/life balance is to find some time in the day which is just for you. Regardless of what you like doing in your free time – reading, listening to music, relaxing – making sure this happens is important. You might need to actually schedule this ‘me time’, but the positive effects it can have on your wellbeing and mental health are huge.
- Look after your health
One of the most common casualties of a bad work/life balance is often personal health. Quite simply, a lack of time can lead to meals being skipped, abnormal eating patterns, fast food, or excess. A good habit to embrace is the social aspect of meal times, spending time with family or friends in the process. A further aspect of health is making sure some form of physical exercise is also done. Obviously working in the building industry can be physically demanding work, so there will often be times when you really won’t want to do much after a day’s hard work. On these occasions, even a short walk will be good for you.
- Leave work at work
Clearly, working in the building industry isn’t a regular nine-to-five! By the nature of owning your own business, this adds to the possibilities of something work-related coming up in the evening or on a day off. However, try to avoid continuing to work once you’ve left site, or at least set yourself a specific time after which you never do anything work-related.
- Resist your devices as much as possible
Linking with the previous point, devices such as smart phones make it very easy to check your emails and any messages which you’ve received. These days, it’s common for business owners to only have one phone, which is for used for both personal and work. However, this adds to the temptation to check and reply to emails and messages. That’s before you add social media into the mix – before you know it, a couple of hours have gone by! You’ll switch off from work so much easier if you do something which doesn’t involve a device. Be outside in the fresh air, spend time with family and friends, listen to music, or do some light exercise.
We can help
Sometimes these techniques can be easier said than done. However, you can get a helping hand in the form of HBXL’s Estimating Service. Rather than feeling like you’ve got yet another important job to do when you get home in the evening or at the weekend, let us take away the strain and stress and get a bit more time to yourself.
What sets our estimating service apart?
- We get it right! Our estimators carefully take their time with your plans.
- Value for money – Our service represents excellent value, based on years of building industry expertise we offer.
- In-depth knowledge – We will read everything you provide and double check any details with you that aren’t clear from the architect’s notes.
- Proven track record – Our customers strongly recommend us, with 97% saying they would use us again.
So, if you’re looking to find ways you can have a better work/life balance, especially by leaving your work at work, and getting a bit of time back, then feel free to contact us! You’re under no commitment to go ahead when you call, so why not give speak to one of our team today on 0117 916 7894. Or if you’re ready, you can upload your full set of plans to our plans uploader on the website. We look forward to helping you get some of your time back!
