Get a better work-life balance in 2020

Have you ever struggled to find a balance between the time you spend working and your home life? In this Blog, we'll look at ways to try and minimise the stress that work can generate and instead to try to get a better work-life balance.

We all want to be successful in our careers, but we don't want to sacrifice our family or social life in order to achieve it.

The importance of keeping fit and healthy and incorporating some form of regular exercise or wellbeing routine into our schedule can just feel like it's adding to the list of things to do. But the benefit of exercise is undisputed, both on our physical and mental health and therefore it shouldn't be sacrificed. 

Many of us can feel worn down by life's pressures and it's no wonder why, especially at this time of year when it's dark and grey and a lack of bright light can leave us feeling lethargic and downright fed-up. So we've outlined our top tips for helping you to start 2020 with a fresh focus.

Reduce time-wasting

How many hours do you waste scrolling on your mobile or checking your email? As the digital world expands, it can sometimes be too easy to get distracted by things unrelated to work. Keep scrolling and checking to a minimum and delete any apps you're not using on your phone or want to use less, such as Facebook and Twitter. Try and set aside set times during the day to check email and close it in between, rather than it being constantly open – this way you can cut down on distractions and wasting time.

Have realistic goals

It's important to make your goals possible because if they are totally unrealistic, we'll end up feeling more stressed and will work unreasonably hard and this will eat into our home lives. Instead set yourself fewer, realistic goals.

Set yourself a task-list

Each day write a small list of the things you need to get done. Move the hardest or least appealing item to the top of the list and you'll often find you are more productive as a result of stopping the procrastination.

At the end of each day, think about where you are with whatever projects you are working on and make yourself a to-do list for the next day. This will enable you to leave your work at work, safe in the knowledge that you're not going to forget anything and therefore don't need to keep obsessing about work unnecessarily.

Create a 'worry hedge'

If you are a worrier, create a virtual 'worry hedge' outside your home where you mentally leave any problems which are bothering you, before you go through the front door. You can 'pick them up again' the next time you leave the house or go to work. Knowing you will address those later means you can stop worrying them and allows you to recharge.

Leave work on time

Putting in the extra hours to meet a deadline or to prepare for a big presentation should be the exception not the norm. An "always on" approach encourages overworking and can create stress. Wherever possible, make sure you leave the office on time and late working doesn't become a habit.

If you need to check your emails at weekends of out of hours, do so just once a day and deal only with things that can't wait. Use an Out of Office message instead and let clients and colleagues know in advance when you're going on holiday to avoid any unwanted phone calls.

Let yourself relax

Never let your holiday time lapse - no-one will be impressed if you do and you are actually more prone to stress or health issues if you don't give yourself a break from work every now and then. Similarly, make sure you get at least seven hours sleep as this improves your ability to concentrate and will enable you to get more done the next day. This should also mean you can leave work on time!

Why Giltinan and Kennedy?

As a small business owner, I know how financial pressures can impact negatively on your wellbeing and how great it feels when someone 'has your back'.

Working with me and my hand-picked team, you have access to my many years' experience as a financial accountant and as a business owner. You will feel supported every step of your business journey.

We can:

• ensure you save on tax costs and pay competitive fees for your accounts
• provide a complete, objective, service, with the benefit of calling on our wide range of professional partners
• be proactive, ensuring we are up to date with the latest changes and legislation
• offer a fixed fee tax return service to help you budget.

And if you recommend us to a friend and they go ahead and work with us, we'll make a £50 donation to the charity of your choice.

Why me?

I understand the pressures you face and I tailor my services to meet your changing needs. As well as general accountancy and extensive tax skills, myself and another partner also have individual specialist skills which enable us to provide you with a comprehensive, first-class service. This means that you can stop worrying about your finances and instead be reassured that your accounts and any tax work will be carried out by my qualified and experienced accountants. They will never be delegated to unqualified staff or subcontracted, as is increasingly the case with other practices.

I provide a high quality service at a reasonable price, within budget. There are no hidden extras and we agree all fees in advance. Get in touch with me on 01403 337490.