How to restore a good work-life balance

Finding the right work-life balance is an important part of being happy at work. We all know how dedicated to your jobs you hospitality lot are, but most of you know the tricks to maintaining equilibrium.

Getting the balance right between work and the other things in life can be tricky. Juggling work with caring for children or elderly relatives, studying, working in the community, or making time to meet up with friends can be difficult. Getting it wrong can lead to stress and unease, so finding that balance is crucial to our wellbeing.

Dr. Dawn Hillier, managing director of Accomplishing Wellness Ltd, specialises in working with employers and employees to develop work and lifestyle wellness programmes. Dawn has more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellbeing sector and gave us some practical, useful advice on what you can do to restore vital balance in times of stress.

1. Learn how to prioritise

The real trick is not to manage time but to manage yourself. Take a leaf out of Dr. Stephen Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Habit three is about prioritising and putting first things first.

Have a look at this simple time matrix and see where you need to fit the different parts of your life:

To put it simply:

• Spend less time in Q1
• Say ‘no!' to Q3
• Stop slacking off in Q4
• Gain increased time in Q2

2. Count your blessings

Keep a daily diary. It sounds crazy, but those who write about the things they are grateful for have improved moods, better coping behaviours and a better sense of physical well-being. Grateful people have less post-traumatic symptoms following a stressful event, so it makes sense to pre-arm yourself by thinking about all the things that you are grateful for - even if it's just that the sun is shining!

Spend an hour of your day outdoors. Take a walk in the park, or do some gardening. Being out in natural surroundings has been shown to have beneficial effects on well-being and mental health.

3. Improve your sleep

Getting six to eight hours of sleep per night will make your feel healthier. Your organs will work better and your skin will be healthier too, making you appear more youthful. Now there's an incentive to get an early night! If you're a troublesome sleeper, try one of the following:

• Have a snack
  If you have trouble drifting off, the right bedtime snack may help promote a more restful night's sleep. This does not, however, include midnight ice cream raids from the freezer. Sorry.
  
  Studies show that a small, tryptophan-enriched snack an hour before bed helped people sleep better and promote morning alertness. Foods that provide a dose of tryptophan include bananas, dairy, nuts, eggs, soybeans, tuna, and chicken. Tryptophan is needed to produce melatonin and serotonin, which are vital factors in sleep and mood regulation.
  
  
• Avoid booze
  Although a nightcap or three will make you drowsy, the effect is short-lived and you'll often wake up several hours later, thirsty and unable to fall back to sleep.
  
  Alcohol will also keep you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing. And let's face it, work is never fun with a hangover, even a mild one.
  
  
• Exercise
  Engage in an activity for at least 30 minutes every day and you may find you sleep better. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is best, so dust off that gym kit and get your trainers on!

With thanks to Dr. Dawn Hillier www.accomplishingwellness.co.uk

Further links:

 - How do you know know when you're working too hard?
 - How your employer can help with your work-life balance
 - Shift worker? Caterer.com members share their top tips for life on a shift pattern

 - Back to Life at work

 - Search for hospitality jobs