While having a good work-life balance is something which we all want, many of us find it impossible to maintain. In fact, four in ten (43.9%) marketers have left a job due to having a poor balance.
And who can blame them? When operating in a highly demanding industry, achieving a healthy work-life balance can seem like an impossible challenge.
In fact, many feel that progressing a career can often mean sacrificing time for personal relationships and overall wellbeing. Therefore, it’s no surprise that 94.1% of marketers would prefer to work for a company that encouraged a positive work-life balance.
Taking these findings into consideration, this guide reflects on how you can start to improve your work-life balance, to become the best version of yourself in the office and in your personal life.
Find out what interests you
Ensuring that you’re working in an area of marketing that really interests you means you’re more likely to be engaged with your daily tasks. You’re less likely to waste time by procrastinating and more likely to improve your output and general quality of work.
You might be wondering how this affects your work-life balance. The answer is, engaging with and enjoying the work that you do will improve your overall performance in your career. You’ll be able to leave work on-time, feeling proud of what you’ve accomplished.
Indeed, when we’re stressed out after a long day at work, thoughts of the office can often eat into our personal time. Feeling content will help you to clearly divide your personal life and your time at work.
Maximise your efficiency
As a marketer, you’ll be dealing with a hundred different projects throughout the day. To avoid the pressures of staying in the office until late in the evening, start each day off on the right foot by knowing what you need to get done.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by how much you’ve got to do, set priorities. Recognise the time that you have to meet your deadlines and decide on a clear path. It’s all about efficiency. Maximise your productivity even further by avoiding pointless social media checks throughout the day – you’ll be surprised as to how much more time you save!
By increasing your output during the working day, you’ll have plenty of time left over to enjoy what matters to you the most in the evening.
Don’t be scared to say no
Being able to say ‘no’ in the workplace is a fine art which takes practice. However, it’s a skill which more of us should master. With many of us falling into the trap of working past office hours to meet growing demands and tight deadlines, it can be especially challenging.
It can certainly be tempting to take on extra work to give yourself more responsibility. But take the time to assess whether it’s realistic. Decide whether you can really complete an extra task to a good standard. If you can’t, then is there any point in tackling it?
By setting clear boundaries, you’ll start eliminating unnecessary extra work. Practising the power of ‘no’ is crucial to maintaining a healthy work-life balance!
Switch off notifications
Most marketers feel the pressure to stay plugged in to their devices, to avoid missing out on an important email or work message. With marketing being driven by technology, it can be difficult to truly leave your work behind at the end of the day.
However, constantly checking your work inbox will only take away from the time that you need to look after yourself. Moreover, by answering your notifications, you’re telling your colleagues that you’re available during your time off – it’s a vicious cycle!
Give yourself a break and a chance to renew your energy by disconnecting from work. Step away from the devices when you leave the office and make a conscious effort to live in the moment – you’ll feel better for it.
Set aside time for you
Taking time out for yourself is just as important as the time you invest in your marketing career. If you’re constantly stressed and tired, this will start to affect your abilities at work.
You don’t necessarily need to have a holiday to have personal time. Simply make time in the day to do what you enjoy most. A lunch hour, for example, is the perfect time to recharge your batteries. Don’t make a habit of working through lunch – this hour should be for you.
Small, but frequent changes will soon make a big difference to your wellbeing!
How to have a good work-life balance
In a fast-paced industry like marketing, it can be challenging to get your work-life balance right. However, if you don’t make this your priority, you could be headed for burnout.
Ultimately, your wellbeing affects how you progress at work, so you need to manage both your personal and professional life effectively. Take our advice into account and you’ll soon start noticing an improvement!
Guest Author: Beth Port
Beth is a PR & Communications Assistant at CV-Library. She did her degree in English Literature, but loves all things language-related and is trying to learn Spanish too! She kept a blog on her year abroad and loves being able to write creatively about all things career-related in her job.