MAINTAINING WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Maintaining a balance between your academic, professional life, and hobbies is essential for your well-being. In this resource, we’ll share practical tips and strategies for achieving a harmonious work-life balance.
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Constant connectivity through virtual meetings and emails may result in a poor work-life balance. This "always-on" mentality makes it difficult to fully disconnect from work responsibilities, contributing to increased stress and feelings of burnout.
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One way to manage this is by setting clear working hours with colleagues
and supervisors. Clarifying work availability helps prevent interruptions during
personal time. By establishing these boundaries, individuals can recharge and maintain healthy
relationships outside of work. Ultimately, reducing the risk of burnout, stress, and job
dissatisfaction.
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Next, prioritise time management. Scheduling apps and calendar tools can be used to allocate non-negotiable personal time. Completing tasks based on urgency and importance will ensure working within designated hours. Planning the week can set aside time for personal commitments and activities. Research has found that effective time management positively influences job performance, academic achievement, and well-being.
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Finally, incorporate self-care activities into your routine. Arranging times to exercise with friends or signing up for regular classes keeps you accountable for attending while maintaining your health. Equally important is dedicating time to your mental health. Interestingly, listening to your favourite music while working can improve concentration, reduce stress and stimulate creativity.
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Achieving work-life balance requires setting boundaries, effective time management, and practising self-care. If your work-life stress seems unmanageable, seek support from the resources shown onscreen.
References:
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Aeon, B., Faber, A., & Panaccio, A. (2021). Does Time Management work? A meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245066
Bartlett, M. J., Arslan, F. N., Bankston, A., & Sarabipour, S. (2021). Ten simple rules to improve academic work–life balance. PLOS Computational Biology, 17(7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009124
Bella, D. K. M. J. (2023). Creating boundaries to maintaining a healthy work-life balance. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research in Arts, Science and Technology, 1(3), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.61778/z0n81p57
Rosen, J. (2018). How a hobby can boost researchers' productivity and creativity. Nature, 558(7710), 475+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A572642926/HRCA?u=anon~a80fb2d3&sid=googleScholar&xid=aa666c33