People talk a great deal about work-life balance, but what does it mean? How can people balance work and health? Sometimes, people feel that worrying about good health must come second after being a good worker. In fact, the first step is to realise that the two are not in opposition to one another. Being in good health will make one a better worker. Below are five ways that one can combine a balanced approach to work and health to ensure that neither area is short changed.

Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is an important but frequently neglected necessity for both good health and effective work. Sometimes people feel as though a hard worker neglects sleep in favour of more work, but getting enough sleep will make one a better worker. People need different amounts of sleep, so it’s worth experimenting to see how many hours it takes to feel one’s best.

Work More Efficiently

An important component of balancing work and health is to make sure that one doesn’t work too much. This is why it’s important to work efficiently. Many people waste a great deal of time throughout the day checking email multiple times and getting distracted by co-workers or simply as a result of being disorganised. Working to eliminate distractions and do one’s work in the most efficient way possible will lead to fewer hours spent at work.

Don’t Neglect Exercise

Like sleep, exercise is often one of the first things to fall by the wayside when things get busy. Exercise actually contributes to a good night’s sleep, but it also promotes general health and is an excellent stress reliever. Even just a daily walk can contribute to health, and it can be a good time to brainstorm about problems at work as well.

Schedule Time With Loved Ones

Spending quality leisure time with friends and family is an important part of maintaining balance in life and good health. If necessary, this kind of time should be scheduled just as meetings and other activities would be.

Stay Home When Ill

Too many people drag themselves to work when they’re not feeling well. They do so because they believe this will make them look like dedicated employees, but in fact, this lengthens the time it takes one to recover from an illness. It also risks the health of others at the workplace. Taking care of oneself during even minor illnesses is an important component of making sure work and health are balanced. It may not always be necessary to miss work, but if possible, one should try to ease back on one’s regular duties for a faster and more complete recovery.

Being an efficient, effective worker goes hand in hand with being a healthy worker. By taking steps like the ones above to balance the two, people will find themselves leading fuller, healthier lives both on and off the job.

Author Bio: Nicole is a recruitment agent and has been for the past 5 years. She aims to help her clients find jobs and guide them in the right direction and has helped people find mining jobs to basic retail jobs. She started writing blogs to share her knowledge for others who are looking for general help and ideas to get them started on their career.