All in all, a good work-life balance is essential for a content piece of mind. However, with so many bullet points on our to-do lists, it’s sometimes challenging to give ourselves permission to rest or prioritize things outside work. That said, implementing changes is never easy.
What Is Work-Life Balance?
We could say that work-life balance refers to the degree to which a person prioritizes their personal and professional obligations. It’s the amount of time you end up spending at work versus at home, or more accurately, the amount of time you spend working versus resting and enjoying quality time with yourself or friends and family.
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Of course, working full-time, trying to advance your career, eating healthily, being socially active, and still having the time for your hobbies and family simply isn’t always achievable. There are only 24 hours in a day, and prioritizing work is often inevitable.
When I say prioritizing work, I don’t necessarily mean dedicating your free time to work after the shift is over. But some jobs or workdays are so energy-consuming that the employees have no choice but to engage in low-impact rest after returning home from work.
Similarly, having time doesn’t equal having energy, so work-life balance also refers to knowing how to distribute your energy so that you have enough motivation and will to engage in activities with friends and family after fulfilling your duties at work.
These days, high pressure and stress are standard aspects of the work routine. So, naturally, with so many things on our minds, the idea of doing something other than contributing to work often seems like a distant thought. Now, these are extreme cases of work and life imbalance, and most people deal with a softer, more palatable version of this problem. Nevertheless, learning how to improve it and creating a routine that nourishes both work and private life could be a game-changer.
Is Poor Work-Life Balance Good for Business?
Putting too many things on employees’ plates could result in a short-term productivity spike. After that, their performance regresses and will only worsen over time. To prevent this from happening, people require active and passive rest time. That means having enough time to go on vacation, and spend quality time with the people we love, but also enough time to just sit in peace, watch TV, or even scroll through social media.
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Instead of pushing their employees to their limits, employers should adopt practices that will improve work-life balance for employees. Now, every company is different, and so are its employees. Some companies can offer remote work, while others can’t. Similarly, some employees would appreciate more PTO, while others would prefer remote work. Luckily, joining the efforts with those affected by the problem will allow companies to find the ideal solutions and set the foundation for employees to add more balance to their lives.
How Can Smartphone Technology Help Improve Work-Life Balance?
Smartphone technology can be a great tool for improving work-life balance. However, it can also hamper your efforts to develop better habits and establish a clear line between work and home life.
Namely, as we’re all using smartphones, this technology often makes it impossible to switch off from work. Even if you don’t respond to emails after work hours, chances are you’ll see a notification on the screen, and that alone can be enough to make you think about how overcrowded your next workday might be.
On the other hand, technology offers many advantages that contribute to a better work-life balance. Thanks to technological advancements, we can connect with peers and colleagues, access company data remotely, improve organizational skills, and learn on the go.
So, in a way, we can’t say that technology is either good or bad. How and when we decide to use and rely on it will govern the way it affects our work-life balance.
Ways Smartphone Technology Can Improve Productivity for a Better Work-Life Balance
Technology can significantly improve productivity by reducing unnecessary workload and saving employees a significant amount of time when performing specific tasks. Namely, with so many file-sharing, video-telephoning, and communication software, employees can work from home and save time on commuting. Not only does this gives them more free time, but it also allows them to be more efficient and create a system that has a place for both productivity and play.
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Effective task management software can be a game-changer. But, in my experience, only if you use it for personal time management. ClickUp, for example, is a decent task management app, but its interface is not very beginner-friendly, so you might want to check out other options.
Taking unproductive breaks, such as scrolling through social media for a long time, can be very distracting and negatively impact your productivity. Luckily, the tech world has a solution. Namely, the Digital Wellbeing tool on Android shows you how much time you spend on your phone. It can also help you disconnect from some apps for a while and therefore form new habits around work.
Technology gives us focus tools too. Using apps offering anything from meditation and soothing sounds to options to block distracting sites or take care of that messy tab situation can be the first step toward big changes. Because sometimes, you really need to put down your phone, stop doomscroling on TikTok, and create a suitable environment for other hobbies and goals.
Using Smartphone Technology to Improve Physical and Mental Wellbeing
Physical and mental health are essential aspects of a good work-life balance. And although technology can negatively impact your mental health, it can also be used to improve it. For example, for the last couple of years, we’ve been witnessing the rise of fitness and mental health apps users can rely on to improve their mental and physical health. Even better, those who don’t have time for therapy can schedule appointments, connect with mental health specialists, and even attend therapy sessions online.
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Additionally, you can rely on many fitness gadgets that connect to your smartphone to monitor your health and track your progress. With this technology, you can even view how many times you’re tossing and turning at night, so it could be useful in detecting which areas of your physical health need improvement.
Improving Work-Life Balance By Nurturing Your Skills
Even the best of jobs could lead to burnout, especially if you didn’t find the time to enjoy the things you love. Now this one is pretty obvious! Another benefit of smartphone technology and the development of the internet is that it allows you to learn anything online and advance your career or learn a new skill for your own enjoyment, often for free, and on the go. On top of that, it offers entertainment and opportunities to learn more about some of your niche interests.
Conclusion
Finding ways to nurture yourself after work is imperative. Whether you rely on your mobile phone or do it the old-fashioned way, what matters, in the end, is how content you are with your work-life balance.
