Coworking
Hurry is probably one of the words that best describes modern people, who have to make as many activities as possible “fit” into a single day. It happens because working hours often stretch beyond the 8 hours set by law, and because of everything else a person needs to take care of in order to live. This mismatch gave rise to the concept of work–life balance: keeping a balance between the time spent working and the time devoted to your personal life.
Why does the balance between personal life and career matter? Because its absence affects more and more people, who either develop certain conditions, such as anxiety disorders, or drift away from family and friends. If you feel overwhelmed by a fast pace of life that can upset the balance between your personal and professional life, there are ways to regain control so that you feel well again. In the article below you will find a few methods for achieving a work–life balance that helps you organise yourself as well as possible.
1. Work–life balance: why it is missing today
Many years ago, home life was clearly separated from work, and people seemed happier, with more time for themselves and their families. You could say there was a balance back then, so there was no need for a concept to separate the two. What has happened since? Although busier working hours seem to be the main trigger, the truth lies somewhere in between, because:
- modern people want many more material things, which makes them work more;
- more work means more time away from family, less rest and, of course, more tiredness;
- competition on the job market makes people want to prove how capable they are;
- the wish to be promoted makes people work more, creating an imbalance between work and personal life;
- new fields of work, such as digital ones, which allow many people to become freelancers or entrepreneurs, create the false impression that they can better control the balance between personal and professional life.
These are the main causes behind the idea of balancing professional and personal life. But what does work–life balance actually mean? The definition is fairly simple: finding a middle way in which people are satisfied with the work they do and the income they earn, which should give them a comfortable personal life and the free time they need to spend as they wish.
Can this balance be achieved? Yes, but it takes a few changes in behaviour, followed by some simple methods that can be adapted to each person’s needs.
2. Work–life balance: how to balance your personal life and your career
What is work–life balance? It is the balance that lets you enjoy a hobby after a day at work, or go shopping without rushing, for example. It means something different for everyone, which is why there are several ways to achieve it. Before choosing the methods that suit you, here is a useful exercise:
- make a list of the tasks you have on a typical working day;
- cross out the ones that are not urgent and can wait until the next day;
- do the same with the tasks you have at home, such as shopping and cleaning;
- add to your home list a leisure activity or a hobby you haven’t had time for in a long while.
Try to work out how much time each task at work and at home takes, to see how you can optimise them. You will reach a balance between personal life and career when you can combine them so that you tick off as many items as possible from each list in a day without feeling exhausted. And if you don’t think that’s possible, a few methods will help. It’s best to start with what you can do at work to make your working day easier, then move on to what you can do for your personal life, so that you get the satisfaction you want when you come home knowing you’ve done everything you set out to do.
2.1. Balancing professional and personal life: what you can do about your working hours
A busy schedule is one of the factors that can most affect the balance between work and personal life. The biggest imbalance is seen among people who work from home or run small businesses into which they pour all their time, including their free time. One of the simplest ways to create balance is to draw a clear line between work and personal life.
If this is your situation, one solution is to create a dedicated space to work in, especially if you are a freelancer. You have several options, including coworking spaces or rented offices, which give you flexibility. How can they help balance personal and professional life? Here are just a few reasons:
- some spaces offer daily or hourly access; at Hublou, dedicated desk and private office memberships run for a minimum of 30 days;
- in these spaces you can meet other people working in similar fields, and this social side can “make” you take a break and avoid fatigue;
- many coworking spaces in large cities are close to public transport, which helps you spend less time commuting;
- these offices are equipped with everything you need, so all you need is your laptop: connect to the high-speed internet and start working as soon as you arrive;
- the Hublou meeting room seats 6 and is booked separately, by members only, at RON 99/hour; for calls, the phone booth is free to use;
- once you’ve finished what you set out to do, you close your laptop and go home.
How else can a coworking space help balance your personal life and your career? It helps you realise how much time you spend working compared with your free time, or rather the lack of it after hours, and correct that deficit. If you need registered office hosting and mail handling, you can also look at the virtual office plan. That service does not include a desk for everyday work.
A healthy work–life balance is not only about what you can do with your working hours, but also about how you can improve things at home, so you can enjoy the free time you gain.
2.2. Balancing professional and personal life: how to improve things at home
Work–life balance also means working on what you can do for yourself, so that you have more free time both after work and at the weekend. This matters for your wellbeing as much as for your health. Which methods can you use to balance personal life and career? If you have chosen to separate working time from free time, you have already taken the first step. The next ones could be:
- set a few days on which you take care of household chores after work;
- set a day for sport, for a hobby or, why not, for both;
- when you work from a coworking space, a walk after work can help you relax and recharge;
- weekends should be devoted to family, or to leisure activities with family or friends.
Rest is another thing that contributes to the balance between professional and personal life, and it is the main reason why separating working hours from free time matters so much. From this point of view, a few methods that work quite well are:
- plan your whole day from the start;
- clearly define your working hours and the day’s tasks;
- schedule a few breaks during working hours;
- decide what you will do after work;
- set a bedtime so that you get at least 7–8 hours of sleep.
Choose the access that fits your schedule. At Hublou, dedicated desks and private offices have 24/7 key-card access. What’s more, being able to set your own working hours will ease the pressure you might feel working from home or from a traditional office. Work–life balance matters for many reasons, one of the main ones being that it helps you stay healthier.
3. Why the balance between personal life and career matters
The importance of work–life balance has grown as several studies have shown that, not only in Romania but around the world, more and more people have developed mental and physical health problems. Free time that is greatly reduced, or missing altogether, leads in the long run to imbalances that are hard to correct.
Work–life balance has become more than a theoretical concept: it has turned into a goal that steers people towards a lifestyle with a sensible proportion between work and the benefits of a successful career, one of the most important being free time. In practice, work–life balance means:
- working hours that allow you to get the rest you need;
- pay that matches the work you do, so that you are satisfied with your job;
- respecting days off and holidays;
- accepting that some tasks can wait;
- accepting that free time lost to work cannot be recovered.
Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when aiming for a balance between personal life and career is to know your limits, not to push them too far, and to set your priorities with your health in mind. These are also some of the reasons behind the rise of coworking spaces, which offer the flexibility and freedom needed for a healthy work–life balance.
In conclusion, what does work–life balance mean? It means finding the balance between the time devoted to your career and your free time, plus the breaks everyone needs to “function” properly. You can achieve it in several ways, the most important being to recognise that you work too much and to correct it by finding a solution that helps you get your tasks done while leaving time for yourself and your loved ones. Coworking spaces and rented offices give you the flexibility you need to escape the pressure of a very busy schedule.
Photo: Freepik.com.