Working in the public sector, more specifically in the National Health Service (NHS), can be a fulfilling profession. However, the pressure to meet high expectations and stressful situations can lead to an unhealthy work-life balance. NHS non-clinical professionals, such as managers, administrative and support staff, are vital to the smooth running of the health service, and their work is essential for the provision of high-quality healthcare to the public.
In this blog post, we will explore some tips on how NHS non-clinical professionals can balance their work and life to manage stress, avoid burnout, and maintain good mental and physical health.
1) Manage Your Time Effectively: Effective time management is essential in maintaining a work-life balance. NHS non-clinical professionals can use to-do lists, prioritisation, and scheduling to manage their work effectively. To-do lists allow someone to organise their tasks by order of importance, priority, and urgency, while scheduling enables one to allocate time specifically dedicated to each task. Prioritising involves paying attention to the most important tasks, ensuring that they take up most of your time and energy. By managing workloads and taking small, frequent breaks, non-clinical staff can avoid burnout and stay energised throughout the day.
2) Set Boundaries: It is essential to create a separation between work and personal life to avoid burnout. The best way to create boundaries is by setting specific working hours and sticking to them. When it’s time to wind down and focus on other aspects of life, such as spending time with family, exercise, or hobbies, it’s important to put work aside and concentrate on something else.
3) Switch off after work: It is easy to answer work emails and carry out work-related activities after working hours, but setting boundaries is critical. Avoiding work-related activities after your working hours allow your mind to decompress and relax, preparing you for the next day's work. If it’s unavoidable, then allocating specific times within your schedule specifically for work is essential.
4) Practice Self-care: NHS non-clinical professionals can experience burnout and high stress levels that can have an impact on their mental health. Practising self-care can help relieve stress, improve mood and mental well-being. Practising self-care techniques such as mindfulness, taking part in exercise, and having adequate sleep can help you achieve a better work-life balance.
5) Communicate with your colleagues: Good communication between colleagues in the workplace is essential in easing any issues related to workload or stress. When delegated tasks are creating undue stress or pressure, it’s important to communicate with a colleague, manager or line manager to rectify the situation. Often, colleagues can assist in easing the burden by redistributing workloads or offering additional support, resulting in reduced overall stress levels.
Balancing work and life may be challenging, but by developing these habits and routines, non-clinical staff can support a better service delivery, improved mental and physical well-being, reduced stress, and burnout levels, leading to a more productive and fulfilling life.
If you need a better work life balance and are looking for a new role contact us today!
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