Tips for a healthier work-life balance

Some practical, evidence-informed tips for improving work-life balance are:

• Have regular breaks away from your desk: This will help reduce the intensity of work and get you in the habit of switching off. Micro breaks (two or three minutes focused on something other than work) can improve concentration and reduce stress. Regular breaks from a computer screen each day are vital for visual and musculoskeletal health. Short bursts of exercise are beneficial, but wherever possible try to get outside to exercise during the day in natural settings.

• Establish an unwinding ritual: For the last 30 minutes of your working day, only start jobs that you can complete easily. Alternatively, spend time clearing your desk.

• Write a daily exit list: Jotting down what you need to do the next day will help clear your mind and provide a sense of control and resolution. Mentally prepare yourself as you review your activities the following day.

• Identify a corridor between work and home: People who do emotionally demanding work often need to ‘decompress’ before moving into their personal life. Consider how you can transition between work and home, physically and mentally: change your clothes, have a shower, cook a meal, or go for a run. Mindful walking can be a good way to switch off. It helps you become more aware of your bodily sensations and encourages you to tune into your environment as you walk. (Information on mindfulness apps can be found here.)

• Find a restorative place: Spend 15 to 20 minutes somewhere you feel happy and relaxed. This could be a favourite chair or a place in the garden.

• Switch off when you commute home: Try not to see commuting as extra work time; read a book or talk to a fellow passenger if you are on public transport or listen to music in the car. If you are working at home, use a ‘virtual commute’ such as meditation, yoga or a go for a walk, to unwind before and after the working day.

• When you think about work after the working day, are you are problem-solving or ruminating? Problem-solving can provide solutions and insights, whereas ruminating will drain your mental and physical energy. So, try to make sure any thoughts about work are restricted to the former.

• Do something different: It is particularly replenishing to use a totally different skillset during leisure time. So, for example, take up a craft, join a choir, or learn a foreign language. See guidance on increasing flexibility earlier in this section.

• Use your diary to schedule activities that you enjoy: Planning your leisure time well in advance will help make sure you get opportunities to switch off.

• Practise self-compassion and self-kindness: avoid the punitive self-talk that can encourage you to work longer and more intensively. See guidance on using CBT techniques later in this section.

• Get another perspective: Regular input and advice from a mentor or a coach can be liberating. Anticipating opportunities to talk about concerns with a trusted person can help people contain difficult emotions and to switch off.

• Disconnect: Switching off from the outside world for a while will help you recoup your energies.