In hectic everyday life, your own needs and wishes quickly fade into the background. But not paying attention to your own energy and not replenishing it regularly can have serious health consequences.
Characteristics of poor balance
The work-life balance (WLB) is to be understood as a balance between professional and private requirements as well as one’s own wishes and needs. These areas do not have to be equivalent or fill the same proportions of everyday life, because the right balance is always individual. It’s about resource distribution and consciously investing your own energy and time. Because time is a limited resource. Rainer Strack, senior partner emeritus at the Boston Consulting Group, also appealed in an interview with CNBC: “Time is the only commodity that we cannot increase.”
However, if it is not possible to allocate this resource sensibly, there are serious consequences. A poor work-life balance can lead to increased stress, more frequent illnesses and increased exhaustion. This results in poorer performance and a higher susceptibility to errors, which in turn has a negative impact on the work-life balance. However, there is much more at stake for employers than performance declines. Overworked employees will quit sooner or later; There is high fluctuation and a great loss of know-how. In addition to employees and employers, the consequences on a societal level should not be underestimated. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it can be assumed that by 2030 depression will be the disease that affects people the most after AIDS.
Prioritization and time management
In order to prevent this and protect yourself, it is important to divide your own energy. “Time here on Earth is limited. It is a limited resource, and therefore you have to be clear about what you actually want to do with this resource,” explains Rainer Strack.
In order to understand and visualize your own time management, Strack developed the “Strategic Life Portfolio” with the help of some colleagues – a method to categorize the different areas of life according to importance and time expenditure and to identify areas in need of optimization. However, joyful areas can also be discovered and expanded in this way.
To use the method, a grid with an X and a Y axis must first be drawn. While the Y-axis represents importance, the X-axis marks the subjective satisfaction that can be achieved through the corresponding area of life. Six categories are assessed: relationships; body, mind and spirituality; community and society; work, learning and finance; interests and entertainment; personal care. Depending on importance and satisfaction – both are rated on a scale of one to ten – the placement on the grid is determined. Once you have sorted all six areas, you are able to make more efficient decisions. “Let’s say your activities of daily living are taking up too much time. Housework, commuting, things like that. Then you need to think about where you can do things more efficiently. What could you outsource? And can you use money to get some time back?” Strack explains the approach.
But other basic things can also help you make your own needs a priority and achieve a healthier work-life balance. According to the AOK, it is important to examine your own attitudes and beliefs and – if necessary – change them. It can also be helpful to increase self-confidence and build social skills. Ultimately, it also helps to really notice moments and not already be thinking about new orders or upcoming events. The concept of mindfulness can be helpful in order to enjoy even the little things and see them as an opportunity to recharge your batteries. Mindful moments can give you energy and reduce stress. For example, morning coffee or tea can be drunk mindfully, but meditation can also help.
Integration into the corporate culture
Although the work-life balance is the responsibility of the employees, it should also be taken into account in the corporate culture. In order to support employees and retain them in the long term, different aspects can be integrated into everyday work. Flexible working hours and the possibility of mobile working can significantly increase satisfaction and therefore performance. However, constant overtime and availability ensure the opposite; A strict separation between work and leisure time seems to make sense.
Jennifer Vogel, editorial team at finanzen.net