‘Work-life balance’ was a term coined in the 1980’s, used by the women’s liberation movement to describe the challenges faced by working women with families.
Since then, little has changed, in fact in a recent study, more than 1/4 of full-time employees globally said it’s become more difficult to balance work and family in the last 5 years.
Overworking and long hours can have a serious impact on our health, both mentally and physically and some of the most common issues include fatigue, stress and damage to the relationships we have with those around us.
This International Women’s Day, we’ve asked Laura Clayton, Brindleyplace Wellness Consultant, and some of the ladies who work on the estate to share with us their top tips for achieving a healthy work/life balance.
Laura’s top tips
- Create a schedule which is aligned with your values – Identify what’s truly important to you. This helps you come out of living in survival and into enjoyment!
- Ask for flexibility – Have open, honest conversations about your needs to help find productive solutions such as flexitime, compressed workweeks, job sharing and other creative options.
- Say no – Realistically assess what needs to be done throughout the week and month. Push back on deadlines in a way which prioritises your energy and health. Set your working hours and communicate those hours to your colleagues. Auto-email responders remove the pressure to keep checking work emails when you are offline, be an example to give others permission to do the same! Use evenings to rest.
- Take more breaks. Even a 30 second break can reduce stress, improve energy and happiness. Taking a break every 75–90 minutes for 15 minutes allows your brain to consolidate and retain learning.
- Take lunch away from your desk. Changing your environment changes your mood, which can clear your mind, offer perspective and reduce stress. Even better, do some exercise on your lunch break. Brindleyplace offers free Yoga every Wednesday lunchtime, you also have access to short meditations and breathing exercises, all available on the Brindley Life app.
- Schedule holidays in advance. If we don’t book holidays in advance, another year will pass, the weeks will fill up, there will never be a free week unless you block it out. Holidays give us milestones to manage our energy levels, work hard and then recharge, rather than run on empty without an endpoint in sight, which leads to burn out.
- Block space in your schedule for family time – Make sure your family members at home know you are doing this so they are also present, and you can use this time to call family members or loved ones who live away.
- Invest more in friendships – Spend time nurturing relationships that matter to you.
- Let go of perfection – Perfectionism may bring some success during school and early career but the stress it causes accumulates over time. It’s important to remember the truth, that life isn’t always easy, everyone struggles, and you aren’t always going to get it ‘right’. This shift in mindset not only improves your own mental and physical health but will also inspire a more compassionate culture at work and at home.
- Ask for help – High-achievers often take everything on themselves, this could become part of your identity and feel hard to change, but if nothing changes, nothing changes! Asking for help gives others the chance to grow, allows them to feel the pleasure in giving back and creates a stronger long-term support system. It also improves closeness in relationships.
Naomi Aly,
Marketing Manager, Lulu Wild
Top tips – Breath, have a routine and Asana!
I am a huge advocate of meditation and breathwork. I also believe very strongly in maintaining a bedtime routine that includes incense, skin care & a good book. I think being organised helps me maintain a good work/life balance, so I have a colour- coordinated diary & Asana (a really helpful project management tool)!
Sharon Baker,
Assistant Vice President – Office of UK&I, Deutsche Bank
Top tips – take breaks, have lunch and get dressed!
I am really bad at taking breaks and I struggle even when I am in the office, never mind at home. When I am at home, I will sometimes go and sit with the hedgehogs if I am feeling stressed, I run a hedgehog rescue from my garden shed. 15 mins sitting with them listening to them snoring in the day usually calms me down!
When in the office, I will go for a walk alongside the canal if the weather is nice – stepping out into the fresh air usually works wonders, when I trained for the London Marathon, I could sometimes be seen running down the canal!
I always try to make an effort to move away from my desk when I am in the office and have lunch with a colleague if our schedules permit.
When I work from home I always get dressed, it might only be leggings and a top but I have never EVER worked in my pj’s as I don’t think my mindset would be right if I was still ready for bed!
Tracey Bound,
Front of House Host, Brindleyplace
Top tips – make a list and keep weekends free from chores!
I think the main thing that helps me juggle my work/home life is being super organised, I love a list!
I try to make sure all the ‘boring’ jobs – food shop, laundry and cleaning the house -are done during the week, after work, so that the weekends can be spent doing something nice for myself, catching up with friends, going out for walks or out for a meal.
Hattie Lewis,
Digital Marketing Manager, Unity Trust Bank
Top tips – Take a lunch break, call a friend and run!
I insist on blocking out my daily one-hour lunch break in my diary – it’s non-negotiable to ensure I eat a refuelling lunch, have time away from my screen and stretch my legs!
I’ve always got time for a natter too. A chat and laugh with a friend can make even the busiest weeks seem a little bit brighter.
Finally, I’m a big fan of running – it’s my saving grace for combatting stress, getting outside and keeping in shape.
So, there are some common themes to the work/life balancing tips our Brindley ladies have shared – namely making time for family and friends, fitness and food! We like the last one.
It’s also worth pointing out that 90% of the Senior management across the estate are women, so Brindley ladies clearly do know how to successfully strike a great work/life balance.
Happy International Women’s Day!
PS. As running is a common theme too we want to give a shout out to Stephanie Eastwood, a Director in Avison Young’s Planning Team working out of 3 Brindleyplace who is running the London Marathon on April 23rd – go Stephanie! Good luck!
