5 actions that leaders and collaborators must carry out to have a balance between work and personal life

Work has always been seen as a daily action that involves effort, time and therefore generates fatigue, something that for years was seen as expected and even applauded, because among increased fatigue meant a lot of work and was applauded and considered successful. Currently this thought is no longer the same, now it seeks to have a balance between work and personal.

According to data from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), 75% of Mexican employees have suffered work fatigue, which also leads to syndrome burn out, that leads to other diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes or emotional. Hence the importance of taking care of work effects and not making work the only thing in life.

Also, presenting these problems generates apathy when working, low productivity, loss of sense of what is done and problems with other people in the organization. On average, up to 40% reduced productivity when a work team is not comfortable, indicates the IMSS.

Therefore, it is important to take actions to maintain an adequate balance between work and personalBut for this to be possible, both the work of the leaders and the collaborators is required. What can they do?

“An elementary factor that can contribute to reaching the goal is feeling satisfied with the activity that is performed. If one is pleased with their work, the purpose is more viable because we have the necessary motivation to carry it out”, explains Saskia from Winter Training, a business and individual training firm

To achieve this, the following five actions are recommended:

1. Define what they want to achieve

The fundamental thing is to have a very specific work purpose and establish actions that allow for a flexible environment that does not harm personal life.

To achieve this goal, it is important to base yourself on the SMART definition: Specific (specific), Measurable (measurable), Attainable (achievable), Relevant (relevant), Time based (in what time).

2. Balance between advantages and disadvantages

With a list you can find the points in each proposal to achieve balance. Sometimes you think of ideas that seem positive, but when analyzed in detail they are not so.

“If the positive reasons outweigh the reasons not to, then we can move on to the next step. This is closely related to the relevance part and today we must decide what is really relevant for our objectives”.

3. Plan a strategy

Having an adequate organization on the measures to be implemented and knowing how to conduct yourself will allow you to have better results. This point should include the new ways of working, the specified agreements, the actions to change, teamwork and disconnection, especially if working in home office.

“In the strategy we must include aspects such as the goal and objective of the purpose, the actions necessary to fulfill it, identify the areas of opportunity, strengths and even key times and dates in which the results will be seen or the goal will be reached 100%” , details Saskia de Winter

4. Start small

It is about eliminating habits that prevent you from achieving well-being. For example, exceeding work hours, asking for things late at night or on the weekend, constantly monitoring people, among others.

Starting with simple actions such as establishing times, promoting trust, getting closer to people, among others, the environment will gradually change.

“Some things demand the fulfillment of actions for several days, therefore, if partial goals are met, it is easier to reach the final goal.”

5. Review progress

It is imperative to constantly review progress. In the event of deficiencies, it will be necessary to identify the reasons and therefore modify the strategy to comply in a timely manner with the greater purpose: that all collaborators and leaders can balance their work and personal life, and therefore, have greater wellness.