The UK is widely reported in the media as a place of long working hours and stress.  Indeed, the Health and Safety Executive reported that a total of 12.8 million working days were lost due to stress, depression and anxiety in 2004/5.  They have a whole web site devoted to work related stress and a set of management standards for helping employers tackle stress in the workplace. 

Many people believe the problem lies in being unable to achieve a work-life balance. 

In this article, I’d like to offer some top tips on achieving work-life balance and suggest some ways in which technology – properly used – can actually contribute to a positive outcome. 

Tip 1. Don’t try to balance work and life - work is part of life.

Frankly, most of us spend far too much time at work to think of that time as being somehow ‘not life’.  Throughout the ages, people have achieved great satisfaction working far harder than we can imagine today building cathedrals and illuminating manuscripts as well as less exotic tasks. 

In the last few years, we have seen a greater recognition that people should enjoy life when in the office – with brighter, more flexible and attractive spaces.  An office space designed around the people not the technology makes work a much more satisfying part of life.

 Tip 2. Use technology to take control - choose where and when you ‘work’

Many people believe that technology is one of the key drivers of stress.  Whilst I accept that technology can be used to contribute to stress it can also be used to give us control over where, when and how much we work.

Consider the thought “they can reach me on my boat” (or golf course, or weekend).  If your emails are constantly ‘pushed’ then that can indeed put pressure on you, even when at leisure.  But if you choose to access emails when you want, you can enjoy your leisure time and know that you can work if you need to.  

Tip 3. Live with never-ending ‘to do’ lists – stop when you choose, not at the ‘end’

If your use your email in-box as your ‘to do’ list then just when you thought you’d got to the end, you will get a string of new emails/tasks.  In today’s information rich environment, if you need to research something you will also never be able to say that you have ‘done it’.

We must accept that we will never finish but we can, and must, stop when we have done ‘enough’. 

Tip 4. Avoid incomplete tasks – take time to ‘do’ or ‘delete’ and try not to ‘pend’

Partially completed tasks clog up our attention and memory.  Post-it notes and piles on desks can both be good ways of reminding us to do things, but beware ‘post-it’ panic where there are so many reminders that it is difficult to concentrate on anything.

Keep your head clearer by taking a little longer to do things immediately or delete them.  Use ‘pending’ with great care.  

Tip 5. Multi-task – use waiting time productively or for fun and health

Multi-tasking can be very effective – use waiting time to do something else and you may find you can do both tasks within the same timescale.  Or use waiting time in front of your computer to relax, to stretch or to stand.

Tip 6. Enjoy what you do – think about whether you need to rush

We all get sucked into being efficient and saving time without always realising that sometimes it is much better to really enjoy what you are doing and do it well. 

A letter in one of my sailing magazines recently bemoaned the behaviour of ‘yachties’ who zoom about in highly powered (noisy) dinghies then go to the gym and use a rowing machine!  Rowing would be cheaper, greener, less annoying for their fellow sailors and better for them.

Tip 7. Make usability part of your life – buy and use technology sensibly

Unusable technology is a pain whether you are at work, at home or on the move.

Poorly designed technology increases the risk of musculoskeletal disorders - so does sitting still for prolonged periods.  Buying well designed equipment helps but it also has to be used properly.  Get up, move about, stretch and relax throughout the day to help minimise problems.  Remember, even if you are enjoying what you are doing, it is still important to change your posture and take a break. 

It’s not just postural problems which can make life unpleasant, unfriendly software and home technology remotes often drive me to distraction.  Clearly a lot more needs to be done before technology is truly usable but it can still help us achieve a suitable ‘work-life balance’!