October is the month of National Work-Life Balance Week, running from the 2^nd – 6^th of October. This is a balance many of us struggle with, as there never seem to be enough hours in the day with the demands of modern life. But this week brings the issue to the forefront and is an occasion for employees and employers to focus on health and wellbeing balance within the workplace and at home.

Without a balance, productivity, motivation and happiness will never be achieved. 23% of us remain unhappy with our balance, commonly due to putting ourselves at the bottom of our priority list.

Working excessively long hours is associated with depression, sleep deprivation, stress, a compromised and unhealthy diet, raised blood pressure, lowered immune system and an increased risk of heart disease.

With retirement age set to increase along with life expectancy, finding that equilibrium between work and home life is the key to both longevity and success.

Are you part of the 40% of people who claim to have inadequate sleep or the 40% of people who spend less time exercising than you would like?

Below are several suggestions that can instigate or propose to promote a work-life balance, along with reducing unnecessary work stress:

• Go home on time
• Have a lunch break and step away from your desk
• Participate in a lunchtime or after-work exercise class if possible
• Switch off from your laptop and mobile device when you finish work
• Separate work life from home life when working at home.
• Request to work more flexible, for example, a four-day week, part-time or different hours.

As you can see within the health and wellbeing quadrant below, all aspects of life are interconnected. If one area suffers, you cannot expect the remaining areas to run smoothly and successfully.

If you need help and support in striking a work/life balance though a flexible working request, please contact Advance.