Four ways to maintain a healthy work-life balance

The middle months of the year can easily be the most grinding. Many workers feel drained and in need of extra motivation.

Murray Warner, business development director, Concur said, “Balancing the demands of a busy lifestyle is not easy, so it is best managed by regularly reviewing priorities. Prioritising time to take a well-earned break is the key to making it work.”

Concur has four tips to help balance work and travel throughout the year:

1. Book holidays well in advance

Booking a holiday early lets travellers plan properly, and make payments in small instalments over a period of time, to decrease financial stress. Planning ahead is essential for peace of mind and means a traveller has a break to look forward to.

2. Manage work-life balance with productivity apps

Schedules, to-do lists, and itineraries are essential to manage time effectively. For travel itineraries, apps like TripIt  come in handy. TripIt acts as a master planner for all travel itineraries. It includes features such as real-time updates, point trackers, and alternate flight integration. Downloading a productivity app such as TripIt can help organise and prioritise activities and increase efficiency both at work and home.

3. Extend business trips into leisure trips

Business travellers are taking advantage of their travel opportunities by extending business trips. Employees who take advantage of their travel opportunities are using no more company resources than they would ordinarily. Paying for a flight can be a big financial expense and time spent traveling is often difficult to justify with work. Combining a business trip with leisure is an effective way to reap the benefits.

4. Start New Year’s resolutions early

Instead of waiting for the Christmas break at the end of the year to build up momentum again, incorporating some healthy habits throughout the year can produce a much-needed routine. A good work-life balance provides a range of benefits, including satisfaction with quality of life, lower levels of stress and physical improvements, such as elevated energy levels and longer life expectancy.

Murray Warner said, “Creating dedicated time in our busy lifestyle schedules lets us focus on one priority at a time and then move onto the next when time is up. This same kind of planning can be useful when it comes to finding time to travel throughout the year. A break can help restore productivity, focus and task efficiency back into our work and home lives.”