The importance of work-life balance for employees, or yourself, could help not only your team but also your business and, ultimately, your customers!
Twenty years ago, many employers or businesses didn’t even consider the importance of work-life balance. However, over the last ten years, work-life balance has become more than just another buzzword thrown around for a few months to disappear into the ether eventually.
As authors, we also need to consider the importance of work-life balance. Sometimes, it’s easy to heap unreasonable expectations onto ourselves. This could be unrealistic deadlines to complete the next chapter or book, get social media and marketing complete, or unrealistic schedules for an author meet and greet or book signings.
So, what is work-life balance, and why is it so important? To put it simply, if your employees look at work as less of a chore, they are more likely to work harder, make fewer mistakes, produce a higher quality of work, and become advocates for your business and brand.
At Author Services Australia, we want all of our team members to be able to enjoy a healthy work-life balance. One of the ways that we as a business can do this is by offering flexible working hours in conjunction with reasonable deadlines.
This allows our team members the flexibility to work from home and also balance their work-life commitments to create a schedule that suits their personal circumstances. Below we’ll take a closer look at some of the ways an organization could benefit from a better work-life balance for their employees.
If your mental health is struggling, or you’re feeling overwhelmed, or know someone that is, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
Organizations such as Speak Up Stay Chatty or Beyond Blue have 24/7 support and mental health resources available to assist.
The Importance of Balance to Organizations and their Team Members
Fewer Health Problems
Issues at work that interfere with how you think, feel, or act at home could lead to various physical and mental health issues in your personal life. For example, if you’re less stressed and overworked at work, your physical and mental health will be better when you’re not there. Likewise, if your team members are more relaxed at home and suffer less stress at work, the quality of the work they produce while they’re working will be better for you and your clients.
More Engagement While Working
When you help your team members understand the importance of work-life balance and implement strategies for your team members to achieve it, such as deadlines that suit them, you can increase their engagement levels. According to Tower Perrins’s Global Survey, “Companies with high levels of employee engagement improved 19.2% in operating income while companies with low levels of employee engagement declined 32.7%.”
Engaged team members are more likely to go the extra mile, and that translates to a better experience for your customers.
Fewer Employee Burnouts
The last thing any business wants is for one of its talented team members to become ‘burned out’ due to work issues. Not only do you, as the business owner then, have to deal with the loss of a talented and important team member, but your employee’s personal life, physical health, and mental health are all at risk. Therefore, you must always be flexible when setting deadlines and understanding employees’ personal commitments to avoid employee burnout.
Tips to Improve Work-Life Balance for Team Members
- Encourage employees to take time off they need.
- Flexibility to work from home on projects.
- Set reasonable deadlines in conjunction with consultation with your team members.
- Seek consultations from team members about how to improve work-life balance.
- As the business owner or manager, practice what you preach and lead by example!
Understanding Work-Life Balance Today – Conclusion
As authors, we’re not averse to taking on too much. Many authors, especially self-published authors, are constantly balancing work-life commitments. Often, we have a main job, with publishing and writing being a second job.
- Never over-extend yourself as an author.
- Don’t overcommit, financially or personally.
- Set reasonable deadlines for yourself.
- Build reasonable expectations.
- Take time out for yourself.
If you need any assistance with the self-publishing process, don’t hesitate to reach out and contact us directly. Our friendly and professional team is standing by to assist you with your book or self-publishing process.
