What is work-life balance? What you need to know

Work-life balance has been a huge topic of discussion over the past few years, and for good reason. Statistics collated by StandOut CV state that 31% of UK employees feel that they do not have a good work life balance, and around 3 in 10 workers believe they are less productive at work due to experiencing poor work-life balance.

What do we mean by work-life balance, what is considered ‘good’ or ‘unhealthy, and what steps can we take to achieve a work-life balance that works for us?

What is meant by work-life balance?

A work-life balance is where an individual can strike a balance between work and play, in a way that suits them. Depending on our personal needs and goals, this isn’t always a clear-cut 50/50 split. If we place a lot of importance in our career, we may find we skew towards work more, but the balance comes in ensuring our aspirations aren’t detrimental to our need for relaxation and leisure.

Why is it important?

Besides benefiting our mental health, work-life balance also benefits employers. After all, happier and more relaxed people in the workplace means a better environment to work in. It also means better productivity, engagement and retention.

What is considered a good work-life balance?

A good work-life balance is one where work, play, social activities, self-care and hobbies are tended to in equal measure. This will look different for everyone, but all in all, it also involves feeling content in these areas and like your time doesn’t need to be heavily invested in one aspect of your life over all of the others.

But how do you know you’ve hit a good work-life balance?

• You experience minimal stress

• You’re resilient (able to bounce back quickly)

• You feel a sense of contentment in your life

• You have a good sense of focus

• You have a good sense of overall wellbeing

• You feel like you have time to invest in areas that interest you

What is an unhealthy work-life balance?

An unhealthy work-life balance is one where you feel like your time and energy is spent mostly at work, leaving you with little to no time to focus on yourself, hobbies, socialising or hobbies. Unhealthy work-life balance can manifest in various ways:

• Working long hours – either as a result of workplace demands or feeling unstable in your role

• Feeling like you can’t ‘switch off’ – you may find yourself responding to requests out of hours or on annual leave

• Feeling physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted

• Isolating yourself from loved ones

• Feeling like you have too much to do all the time

• Feeling cynical, angry and/or irritable.

Why is work-life balance important?

Work-life balance is important for our overall wellbeing. By having work-life balance, an individual may feel more capable of disengaging with work after-hours, setting boundaries, enjoying their life outside of work and feeling a sense of enjoyment in their everyday life. If we focus too much on work, we can feel stressed and eventually burnout. But if we focus too much on leisure, we may not achieve the things we want in our professional lives.

How many hours is a good work-life balance?

The hours of a good work-life balance vary from person to parson. The average working hours in a week in the UK is 36.4 hours – one of the highest in Europe. In addition to this, TUC data from the Labour Force Survey found that over 3 million people worked 7.7 hours of unpaid overtime per week in 2020, each losing out on an average of £7,300 per annum.

The Mental Health Foundation suggests we should use the 8-8-8 rule. Meaning we allocate 8 hours for work, 8 for sleep or rest, and the other 8 for our personal time. Working flexibly and/or reducing your working hours can also help improve work-life balance, but this isn’t always possible (depending on financial circumstances and employer policies).

There are other things to consider that may contribute to what constitutes a good work-life balance, such as:

• The type of work you do (is it seated/strenuous?)

• The hobbies you have

• If you incorporate movement daily for your physical wellbeing

• Affordability

• Existing mental or physical health conditions

• If you have dependents.

Does the UK have a good work-life balance?

The Work-Life Balance Repost 2024 placed the UK at 34th out of 40 nations, citing that it falls short on key areas such as:

• Lack of hybrid working

• Low statutory leave

• Low Bank Holidays

• Poorer maternity and paternity leave offerings

While it’s not the lowest on the scale, there are clearly areas of improvement that are needed for the UK’s overall work-life balance of their workforce to thrive. Plus, with increases in searches such as ‘work abroad visa’ which hit a peak in May 2024 according to Google Trends, suggests that Brits may be looking for better work-life balance elsewhere.

The UK stance on work-life balance

A Hays report surveyed 5,000 employers and 8,000-plus professionals and found that more than half of their respondents would accept a lower-paid job in exchange for a better work-life balance. Of those surveyed, 33% consider work-life balance to be the most “crucial consideration” when looking for a job. Clearly, we’re seeing the value in having a work-life balance as a nation, and it’s something companies simply can’t ignore and need to work into their wellbeing initiatives.

Steps to achieving work-life balance

Achieving work-life balance requires trial and error. Finding what works may take time, but with enough guidance and patience, you can achieve a work-life balance that supports your professional and personal life.

1. Assess your work-life balance as it stands now

It’s important to see where you’re at so you can adjust overtime. Write out how much time on average you spend on work vs your personal time and use this data to make informed decisions on how you can take time back if you’re overworking.

2. Take regular breaks

Whether it’s booking annual leave or getting away from your desk, regular breaks are crucial for work-life balance. After all, no one can work solidly for 7.5 hours a day, you need to fuel your body and mind!

3. Look at your sleep

If you’re using your devices at night for doom scrolling or replying to emails, it may be time to take stock and reassess how this is affecting your sleep. Take small steps by putting set hours of response times in your email signature and even remove your email from your Mail app so you aren’t tempted to respond.

4. Turn off notifications

While this may not be possible for job-critical tasks or certain friends and family who require your support, turning off your notifications can drastically reduce your screentime. According to a study by White Rose, screentime has been shown to negatively impact mental health, so things like turning off (or at least muting) your notifications can reduce your screentime.

5. Nurture existing relationships

When we’re in the thick of work, we may feel too tired to socialise or maintain the bonds we have. Be sure to reach out to family and friends. It may even be a good opportunity to share your interest in increasing work-life balance and gain perspectives from the people closest to you.

How can an Employee Assistance Programme help with work-life balance?

If you’re struggling to find work-life balance or need guidance in finding a routine that works for you - HA | Wisdom Wellbeing can help connect you to a counsellor. With our solution-focused approach, we can guide you through any issues you may be having and help facilitate your new and improved work-life balance. It’s also important to ensure your overall wellbeing is looked after whilst you make the transition. Our Wisdom app can support you in health and mood tracking so you can spot trends, access 1,000s of content pieces on mental and physical wellbeing, use our exercise videos and much more.

Conclusion

There is no one-size fits all when it comes to work-life balance, though it’s very clear that the UK values it when looking for a place to work. With the right tools and support, you can find a work-life balance that is individualised to you and your circumstances. If you’re unsure whether your work-life balance is where it should be, then your manager, counsellor or even your immediate support network may be able to offer outside perspectives to give you ideas on how to improve it too.