12 Best Ways to Achieve a Better Work Life Balance in 2026
Finding the right balance between work and your personal life is not just a luxury, it is a necessity.
73% of employees consider work-life balance as a core factor when accepting a job, and not just the salary.
30% say they face a hard time performing well at work due to a work-life imbalance.
The reason is quite simple - poor work-life balance results in stress and burnout. This burnout adversely affects the well-being of the employee and their productivity at work.
Therefore, both employers and employees must work together to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
What Is Work-Life Balance?
Work-life balance means finding the right balance between work and personal life, allowing time for work, family, hobbies, and self-care. It's not just about hours spent at the office or working from home-its about the energy, focus, and mental availability you have for both work and life.
Even if someone is working remotely or long hours, work-life integration ensures that work responsibilities don't overwhelm either work or personal life. A healthy balance allows employees to recharge during their personal time fully.
Creating a good work-life balance isn't simply an ideal-its essential for work performance, mental health, and employee engagement. The importance of work-life balance cannot be overstated.
What Causes Poor Work-Life Balance?
Maintaining a good work-life balance promotes overall well-being. But first, we should understand the cause of it and correct the actions that have been causing the imbalance.
1. Long Working Hours and Overtime Expectations
Many employees work long hours or exceed their regular schedule, which can affect both their work and personal lives. Employees may feel fatigued, stressed, and unable to enjoy time at home. Poor work-life balance can lead to burnout and negatively impact mental and physical health.
They end up spending a lot of time at their desks, skipping meals and breaks to finish their work. This can leave them with less time and energy for other essential things in their personal life.
As a result, their relationships can suffer and they may not feel as healthy and happy as they would like. And the scary part is - People working more than 55 hours a week are at major risk of dying from overwork.
2. Lack of Flexibility in Work Schedules
Individuals working with international clients and teams often need them to be available outside of their regular time zones. Rigid schedules make it challenging to manage work and home responsibilities. Employees may struggle to achieve a healthy work-life balance without flexible work arrangements or flexible work hours. Remote work options can help employees find the perfect balance between work and personal commitments.
But not having the flexibility to choose when to work can lead to stretched, stressed working hours to accommodate other time zones.
Moreover, not having the flexibility to choose where to work or to make slight adjustments to their usual login/log-off times on some days due to emergencies or personal matters also leads to work-life imbalance.
3. High Levels of Job Stress and Pressure
80% of employees feel stressed on the job, almost half say they need help managing their stress, and 42% say their colleagues might need help managing theirs.
Constant pressure keeps your body in overdrive, causing a work-life imbalance. So, try to find a balance and ways to improve your work with your daily routine.
This stress disrupts sleep, weakens your immune system, and leaves you feeling anxious. You also become irritable and withdrawn, affecting your personal life and relationships.
4. Unrealistic Expectations from Employers and Oneself
Sometimes employees may overcommit to work to meet unrealistic goals. This can disrupt work and personal life, making it harder to maintain work-life integration. Work-life balance is crucial for long-term productivity and employee satisfaction.
But trying to meet unrealistic expectations and constantly stressing about it can take a toll on your health. This will also harm your health and lead to an imbalance.
If an employer is making you feel you should be more devoted to your work and spend the majority of your time managing work, then they are setting unrealistic expectations.
6 Tips for Employees to Improve Work-Life Balance
While looking for a balance in the chaos, try to find reasons why work-life balance is absent in your life and how to achieve it. Clearly define time for work and work part-time or flexible hours if possible. Avoid letting work responsibilities spill into personal time. Communicate your schedule to others to help support a better work-life balance.
1. Set Clear Boundaries & Create a Balanced Work Schedule
Flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible hours, allow employees to manage work and home life effectively. Trust employees to manage their time and responsibilities for a healthy balance.
Set boundaries! Don't let your work activities spill into the rest of the day and hamper your personal activities.
Clearly define the times you will be or won't be available for work, and stick to them. Most importantly, let others know your schedule so your team can connect with you when you are available, rather than reaching out in off-hours.
Again, while creating the schedule, keep it realistic, include breaks, avoid the temptation to work overtime, and make enough room for self-care, family, and friends.
2. Prioritize Tasks & Delegate When Possible
You cannot do everything at once or by yourself.
Learn to prioritize tasks and delegate what is possible to speed up the work. Otherwise, unfinished work will only continue to loom over your head and cause unnecessary stress.
When deciding which tasks to prioritize, consider those that require immediate attention, have upcoming deadlines, or are particularly challenging.
For tasks that are more repetitive, less urgent, or can be handled by someone else, delegate them as needed, based on your schedule and your team's availability.
Tools that manage schedules help employees complete their work efficiently and prevent overwork. This ensures that work-life balance is maintained for all team members.
This will help you wrap up faster, reduce work stress, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
3. Focus on Results for better work-life balance
Many workplaces claim higher productivity or greater work efficiency with long working hours, but this is not true for most roles. It's the output that matters and not the number of hours you spend sitting in your chair.
To avoid this mindset, focus on what you want to achieve and set the process to achieve it, rather than worrying about the hours that stress you out and reduce your productivity.
If your work for the day is done, you should not feel pressured to stay back at your desk. Instead, communicate this to your team and manager to normalise leaving work a little early when your tasks are done (without feeling guilty!).
4. Invest in Physical and Mental Health
Don't get yourself trapped in the work, eat, sleep routine. You must focus on your health and prioritize it above work.
Schedule physical activities you enjoy. Include exercise, healthy meals, yoga, or meditation in your routine. Go on a walk, spend time in nature away from gadgets, and work. All of these will definitely help your physical and mental health.
Remember, a healthy you is a more productive you. When you feel good, you can focus better, manage stress more easily, and get more done at work.
5.Schedule Personal Time for Family & Relaxation
Acknowledging contributions makes employees feel valued and improves people's work-life balance. Engaged employees are better able to manage work and personal responsibilities. Take breaks from work and make time for the things you love.
Spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, or simply relaxing, scheduling this dedicated "me-time" can help you recharge and feel refreshed. It can also make you more productive when you return to work.
So, don't forget to block out some time in your daily routine for yourself and the activities that make you feel better.
6. Take Vacations
Paid time off exists for a reason, you have earned it.
It is your chance to truly disconnect from work without worrying about the next day, and to recharge by doing things you want to do without any stress.
You can go on a vacation, explore new places, spend time with family, complete things on your bucket list, and enjoy the break from routine.
6 Tips for Employers to Encourage Employee Work-Life Balance
1. Offer Flexible Work Options and Clear Expectations
87% of employees say that having a flexible job would reduce their stress level, and 97% suggest that having flexible jobs can improve their overall quality of life.
Your employees want to be trusted and don’t want to be micromanaged about when, where and how they work.
Hence, employees value employers who give them the freedom to manage their own time and set clear and realistic expectations for them.
2. Use Workforce Management Tools for Managing & Scheduling People
It's important to manage your workforce effectively to prevent employee burnout. Workforce management tools can help you accomplish this by allowing you to understand the workload of each employee and easily manage their schedules.
Make sure you understand your employees' roles and tasks. Ask them about their preferred working hours, if any, and use this information to create a schedule that works for everyone.
Also, keep a tab on the work being assigned to employees regularly-is it within their expertise, are they getting drained, is their task stuck somewhere?
Monitor and evenly distribute the workload across your team to avoid overwhelming any one individual.
3. Promote Time Off
Employees should work in the hours when they feel most productive and take breaks during their least productive hours.
As an employer, encourage employees to turn off work notifications during their breaks so they are not stressed by anything that pops up.
Let your employees know that they should not work outside of their regular working hours. This means no emails or messages during evenings, weekends, or when they're on vacation and truly disconnecting from work.
Also, limit the number of PTOs transferred to the next calendar year and ask your employees to use as many PTOs in the same calendar year. This will give them the time to relax and have a truly good work-life balance.
4. Encourage Independence & Open Communication
When you show trust in your team and give them space for open communication, it helps them feel confident and allows them to plan their day based on their productivity and workload.
They will not feel micromanaged or pressured this way, meaning reduced stress levels.
Also, the freedom to plan their day according to requirements will prevent them from working overtime and make room for their personal life activities.
5. Recognize and Celebrate Employee Achievements Regularly
Taking the time to acknowledge a job well done motivates employees and shows their contributions are valued.
This reduces the constant pressure to prove themselves, both at work and at home.
When employees leave work feeling they have performed well or achieved something good, they're more likely to detach and enjoy their personal lives without stressing or overthinking.
6. Organize Team Building Activities
Keeping your team connected can help you create a positive work environment.
When team members engage with each other, it leads to better collaboration, distribution of work, and a happier work life.
Organizing team-building activities and community events can help employees across different departments connect and work better together. Moreover, encouraging employees to work on initiatives outside of their regular work can significantly boost their engagement and job satisfaction.
How to Achieve Work-Life Balance?
To achieve a healthy work-life balance, start by setting clear boundaries between work and personal life and prioritizing tasks effectively. Incorporate flexible work arrangements and take regular breaks to recharge both mentally and physically. Finally, make time for hobbies, family, and self-care to ensure your work and personal life thrive in harmony.
Promoting Work-Life Balance at Your Organization
Work-life balance for your employees is more than a perk-its essential. Employers can help their employees achieve greater productivity, mental wellness, and engagement by providing access to mental health support, flexible work arrangements, and a culture that encourages full disconnection from work.
Achieving a healthy work-life balance ensures employees feel valued, that employee well-being is prioritised, and that both work and personal life thrive. Remember: balance is crucial for employees, and a good work-life balance benefits everyone.
