How to have a sustainable work-life balance for those who are task orientated
Tori
For those that are task orientated the line between work and life is much more blurred, you see work as one part of your life alongside other aspects. So, what can you do to achieve a sustainable work-life balance
We’ve all heard the phrase work-life balance, something that has become more evident since the pandemic. The way you approach the day helps to understand the way you operate your work-life balance. There are two ways to approach it:
Time orientated – You work your contracted hours, clocking in and out, leaving work at the door and freeing yourself up to enjoy the other aspects of your life.
Task orientated – You put together your to-do list, approaching your work more fluidly allowing you to do that gym class, school run, feed the animals, finding a rhythm that works for your wellbeing.
For those that are task orientated the line between work and life is much more blurred, you see work as one part of your life alongside other aspects. So, what can you do to achieve a sustainable work-life balance:
1.Communicate – clear communication between employers and clients will establish shared understanding of the tasks and help to set realistic deadlines.
2.Reflect and adapt – Identify what is causing you the most stress, what needs prioritising and challenge your current approach – do you need to change to a task-bound/time-bound approach in order to get the task completed to a good standard?
3.Be honest with your emotions – if you need help, speak up. Ask for some support in making some of those changes – self-awareness is important so that you can articulate how you are feeling and what changes you would like to make to feel more secure in your role.
4.Prioritise – be more strategic about your time and tasks – try and prioritise the essential jobs, compared to the ones that can wait and carve out periods in a day or week to achieve those higher and lower priority actions.
5.Boundaries – try to implement boundaries so that you get your weekends off, don’t work late every day of the week, take that lunch break, or delegate that new project to your colleague.
Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, and the best choice often depends on the nature of your work, personal preference, and organisational requirements. Throughout your career, your approach will develop as your personal and professional priorities change. Organisations should recognise and accommodate those changes to support you and create a workflow that suits you.