Suffice to say, many of us struggle with the same internal conflict: the daily marathon-like battle of trying to balance our work and personal lives.
But, as new research now indicates, thinking about this day in, day out could actually lead to a range of different health issues.
After analysing the behaviours of more than 200 people aged 26-76, professors at the Oregon State University in the U.S. found that repeatedly thinking (also known as repetitive thought) about the work-family conflict coincided with six different health categories: life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, fatigue, perceived health and health conditions.
In particular, researchers paid close attention to repetitive thought, which comprises of two types of cognition: worry and rumination.
Rumination is something that is persistent and focuses on backward thinking (it is often associated with depression), while worry tends to look forward and is more often linked with anxious apprehension.
Lead author of the study Kelly D. Davis, who works for Oregon State University’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences, says warding off this repetitive thought process, and ultimately better someone’s health and wellbeing, is not just on the individual, but the people around them.
“Planning ahead and having a backup plan, having a network to support one another, those things make you better able to reduce work-family conflict,” Davis said. “But it shouldn’t just rest on the shoulders of the individual. We need changes in the ways in which organizations treat their employees.”
5 ways to strike a work-life balance today
1. See the signs
When the stress of trying to achieve everything and appease everyone becomes too much, your mind and body can suffer.
If you’re experiencing headaches that won’t go away, unexplained fatigue and find that you’re snapping more often than ever before, contact your GP about putting a plan in place to manage your stress and anxiety levels.
2. Track your time
Monitor how long your usual daily tasks take (this includes things you like to do and things you don’t like to). Once you have done this, work out what’s necessary and what you get the most pleasure from.
3. Say no
If filling out reports and paperwork night after night has you spending less time with your family and more time giving you a perpetual headache, begin to respectfully pull back on working outside of your normal hours.
4. Don’t take tech to bed
Are you guilty of checking your work emails in between scrolling your various social feeds while in bed? Not only is it time to stop this so you can separate yourself from work more, but a tech-amnesty in the bedroom will help you to sleep better (putting your mind into sleep mode with no too-bright phone screens in sight), which in turn, can help lift stress off your shoulders.
5. Eat healthily
While it’s simple to divert to easily accessible, no-fuss takeaway meals when you’re tired and rundown, resist the urge. Food plays a major role in impacting your mood, so opt for energy-boosting foods like almonds, eggs, fresh fruit and plenty of water.
If you’re feeling stress and need to talk to someone, contact beyond blue or speak to your GP.
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