Wellbeing at Work: Tips for Maintaining a Work–Life Balance

Wellbeing at work refers to your current emotional experiences such as stress and anxiety; your resilience (meaning your ability to withstand and bounce back from adversity and challenges); and your ability to experience positive professional conditions, such as feeling supported, satisfied, and fulfilled by work, while being able to maintain a healthy work–life balance. 

Too much stress can cause poor performance, burnout, and turnover. Furthermore, stress and burnout are associated with sickness, absence, injuries, and poor work performance.  

How can you maintain balance at work? 

To improve work–life balance, consider using some of the following techniques: 

• Add work–life balance as a standing agenda item when you talk to your manager at work during one-on-one meetings. 
• Be open and discuss areas where you may be struggling to manage both work and home responsibilities with your manager. 
• Set boundaries on your time by scheduling regular breaks, establishing starting and stopping times during the workday, and minimizing multitasking. 
• Prioritize your needs. Self-care looks different for everyone. Getting enough sleep, though, is generally accepted as beneficial for everyone. 
• If possible, ask for a flexible schedule.  

You can never get rid of stress entirely (and you wouldn’t want to—there are actually positive benefits to stress, but you can work to manage it. Maintaining an appropriate work–life balance is one of the most common stressors individuals face. Focusing on your wellbeing, both in the workplace and at home, can help.