Do you remember the thrill of receiving the job offer you were so eager for and the excitement of starting at a new company? Work life balance in those early days is not a factor. But weeks, months, and years into a role, lots of us still relish the challenges and enjoy our jobs, but there can be times when it feels like the work life balance is non-existent and work is seeping into the corners of our home life and our brains can’t switch off.

Happiness at work has a huge impact on happiness outside of work, but often it’s not until we’re facing burnout that we realise our work life balance is having a detrimental effect on our home life. Read up on the five telltale signs here:

1. Disturbed sleep and insomnia

Sleep is crucial for humans to reset our minds and re-energise our bodies and brains. If your usual sleep patterns start to be interrupted by nagging thoughts of work or if bouts of insomnia strike, this is a big warning sign that something is out of kilter.

2. Our families see a change

The people we share our homes with are those who notice when we aren’t behaving like ourselves. When our moods are changing and we are less engaged with home life, it’s a clue that our work life is knocking on our front door after hours and upsetting our downtime.

3. Zero energy for hobbies – work life balance is a no!

Our inclination to head out and exercise, or meet up with our regular groups might suddenly drop off a cliff, and be replaced with a feeling of not wanting to do anything. Our motivation to pursue our enjoyment is depleted either because our brains are stewing over work and can’t switch off, or our energy levels are drained from burnout.

4. Lack of motivation at work

The role that you have given your all to now feels like something you don’t want to be doing. Completing tasks feels like a slog and your focus has gone from laser-sharp to blurry. When your productivity at work is noticeably low, your whole performance starts to suffer and resetting can be tricky.

5. Work and personal goals are left in the dust

You were set to apply for a promotion and had carved out time on your weekends to train for a half marathon, but these plans have been quietly shelved –  in fact, it’s a struggle to even think about goals. Not managing time well and missing out on opportunities creates a negative cycle, which can be tough to override.

Here to help you

Work inevitably takes up a chunk of our headspace, but it shouldn’t be setting up permanent camp in our brains when we’re outside of work and making us worry or feel utterly exhausted. At Avilio we are specialists in increasing productivity and happiness in the workplace, leading to happier lives outside of work. Our unique programmes give you techniques and strategies for life to say productive, motivated, and happy.

Talk to us today about how we can make this happen for you and your organisation.

Still looking for more information? Read the Harvard Business Review article on the Work Life Balance being a cycle and not an achievement. The article looks at the work-life balance not being an achievement, but a continuous process, as per research by Ioana Lupu and Mayra Ruiz-Castro.

They conducted nearly 200 interviews with professionals and found that achieving a sustainable balance between work and personal life requires reflexivity and role redefinition. The process is a cycle of five steps: pause and denormalise, pay attention to emotions, reprioritize, consider alternatives, and implement changes.

This isn’t a one-time event but a continuous engagement to accommodate changing circumstances and priorities.