By Ganymede
Fatigue – Work-Life Balance
It’s important to consider the hours we work, a lack of work-life balance can take its toll in many ways;
Physically
Emotionally, and
financially.
Not only could it cause a break down in family relationships, it could also impede your work performance.
The Office of Rail and Road recommends 8 hrs of sleep and an hour either side for preparing for sleep and waking up and preparing for the day. This does not consider quality time spent with the family and rest inducing activities.
This time for rest is a very important aspect of managing your stress and fatigue levels. It is imperative that time is set aside, but far too often, our time at works impedes or wipes out fully the possibility of rest time.
Don’t ignore the signs.
Tiredness
Irritability
fractious home relationships
increased illnesses
stress
increasing list of jobs to do around the house
reduced job satisfaction
missing your children's achievements are all signs of work/life balance not being quite right.
The benefits from getting the balance right include;
Your health and wellbeing will improve from additional rest
You will be more productive because you don’t do your best work when exhausted
You’ll be more likely to enjoy your work
You’ll have more ‘you time’
You’ll stop missing out on everything other than work
You can start or have more time for that hobby you have always wanted to do
Home relationships will be strengthened
Why not take some time to discuss with your family what their needs are: Are they happy with you at work all the time, are there things they would love to do as a family, are there particular jobs that need doing around the house?
Then ask yourself
Do I need to do these additional hours or can I reprioritise aspects of my work?
Have I gotten to the point where my commitments mean I cannot live without my overtime?
Is this healthy for me?
Is there a hobby I would like to take up but do not have the time to do?
If you have any questions regarding the topics covered in our Fatigue series, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our HSEQ team on 0333 011 2048 who will offer you support and guidance.