work life balance Archives

7 Signs That You Need a Vacation

What are the signs that you need a vacation?

You start getting sick from work
You have trouble sleeping
You make more mistakes at work
You develop unhealthy coping mechanisms
Your interpersonal relationships are suffering
You lack motivation
You are extremely guilty of taking a vacation

In a world where feeling too stressed out has become a common thing, the typical daily routine of individuals goes like rushing to the office, hurrying to get mountains of paperwork done, and logging off to catch up on personal responsibilities. However, when you spot the clear signs that you need a vacation, it might be best to do so.

Ask yourself, “When was the last time I had some time off?”. It’s important to make sure you receive a much-needed rest to alleviate burnouts, which can cause serious physical and mental problems if ignored. Here are the telltale signs that you need to go on that vacation you’ve always daydreamed about. Read on!

You Start Getting Sick from Work

When you constantly feel overwhelmed while working, your brain responds by releasing stress hormones. In the long run, the chemical reaction has inevitable physical consequences such as increased blood pressure, stomach problems, chest pain, backaches, eye strain, headaches, dizziness, and even fainting.

Furthermore, the exhaustion you experience from the workload can compromise your immune system and make you more prone to the flu, colds, and other infections.

Keep in mind that getting sick might be your body’s way of telling you that you need a vacation. It’s better to take some time off than to prevent other chronic health conditions.

You Have Trouble Sleeping

The very same stress hormones from overworking may also make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. Stress can force your body into a hyper-alert state which disrupts the sleep cycle. Over time, this can result in chronic insomnia.

Sleep is important for a healthy body and mind. If you find yourself tossing and turning at night because of thinking of so many things, it is time to manage your stress levels and get a better sleeping schedule. This can be achieved by heading to a vacation spot with a tension-free environment.

You Make More Mistakes at Work

Do you keep making mistakes on tasks that have always been a routine? Are you missing deadlines? Or do the most basic tasks seem hard to accomplish?

According to a psychological expert, the body’s “fight or flight” tunnel vision can negatively impact the ability to concentrate. When you are stressed, your focus is directed on the threat. However, chronic stress makes it difficult to pay attention and impairs your memory. This is what makes it hard to solve tasks and have efficient decision-making skills.

If you want to prevent costly slip-ups with the company, it would be best to take a break. What most people fail to realize is that taking a vacation often leads to renewed focus. The improved energy and creativity levels you gain prove to be helpful for a fresh perspective when going back to work.

You Develop Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

Drinking too much, smoking, becoming too sedentary, overeating junk food, not eating enough, or not sleeping enough — these are some of the things people do to drag themselves to work. If you find yourself developing unhealthy coping mechanisms, you may be suffering from burnout. Consider taking a vacation to avoid the vicious cycle.

Your Interpersonal Relationships Are Suffering

Too much stress can result in three negative things for interpersonal relationships. First, you easily get into arguments with other people. Second, you withdraw when talking to people. Third, you miss out on important occasions because you can’t seem to take your mind off work. This might be the perfect time to put the brakes on yourself and set some time to relax and bond with your loved ones.

You Lack Motivation

Do you feel your work spirit flagging? Or maybe you can’t remember what it is that made you love your work? When you don’t feel as enthusiastic about what you do anymore, there is a big chance you are experiencing burnout. A good indicator of losing motivation is when you find yourself lonely when waking up in the morning for work. It might be time to get away.

You Are Extremely Guilty of Taking a Vacation

This sign might seem like an oxymoron, but if you find yourself extremely guilty of taking a vacation, it may be a sign to book a trip. Use your paid vacation leave. No matter how much you love your job, everyone needs to take a break once in a while. Remember that taking a vacation helps prevent burnout, which can make your work suffer even more.

Key Takeaway

These are some of the telltale signs that you need a vacation. When was the last time you had some time off? In order to avoid burnouts, serious health issues, and letting your work suffer, planning a trip is one of the best things you can do.

5 Tips to Avoid Overtime at Work

What are some tips to avoid overtime at work?

Manage your workload
Lessen distractions
Stick to a schedule
Know your limits
Take short breaks

If there’s anything that the average employee hates more than working a stagnating job, it’s having to handle excessive work above their paygrade. You might have found yourself in the same situation before — working an extra three hours on top of your already grueling 9 or 8-hour shift just to meet a deadline. Without any knowledge of tips to avoid overtime at work, don’t expect yourself to clock out as soon as your shift ends.

Fortunately, there are things that you can do to lessen instances of overtime. Through knowing the best ways of managing your workload, lessening distractions, and knowing your limits, it’s certainly possible. Read on to learn more.

Manage Your Workload

Managing your workload is easier said than done, but once you get the hang of it, then it’ll be second-nature to you.

This can be done by making a list of your priorities. Work on tasks that you need to finish within the day first, as this helps get the most crucial work out of the way. Then, you’ll want to move on to the simpler and more menial tasks that don’t really require much of your brainpower.

Contrary to what people might tell you, don’t try to multitask in your work. Instead, focus on a single thing at a time, as this makes your job less overwhelming and more productive.

Lessen Distractions

If your office has a strict, no-cellphone policy during working hours, then distractions are few and far in between. In the absence of one, however, then you might be victim to pesky disturbances that can chip away at your precious time.

As much as possible, you’d want to reduce any source of distractions especially if you’re working from home. Keep away all devices such as smartphones, handheld consoles, television sets, or virtually anything that may take your attention away from what you actually need to get done.

Stick to a Schedule

Not many employees will be too thrilled about the idea of sticking to a schedule at work. After all, no day is the same — it’s certain that you’ll be met with many unexpected work encounters that may push back the time you need to devote to your tasks.

However, you should at least try your best to come up with a daily work schedule that you can work with.

Try giving yourself a time limit by which you can accomplish a single work-related activity. Doing this allows you to gauge the level of your productivity and efficiency over time.

Know Your Limits

Sure, it’s great if you always try going beyond the call of duty regarding your work. You don’t mind taking in more tasks that aren’t really within the scope of your job description — but is this really something that you can sustain in the long run?

Saying “no” to your superiors or colleagues can be something that you might have difficulty with, but you should be able to know your limits and assert yourself.

When you really cannot take on more work other than what you already have on your plate, it’s time to let your colleagues know that you simply cannot get it done within the day. Give them an idea of just how mentally and physically demanding your workload is. Stand your ground and don’t give in to their requests, even if they try to convince you otherwise.

Take Short Breaks

You might be thinking that taking breaks is counterproductive to avoid working overtime, but it doesn’t always have to be the case.

A great reason why you should make it a habit to take breaks is so that you don’t burn out fast. Remember: the life of an employee is a marathon and not a sprint. Becoming the best version of an employee that you could be is all about doing things in a more sustainable manner.

When you’re taking breaks, you’re re-energizing yourself just in time to take on the next set of tasks that you have to finish. In this way, you’ll be able to get the job done more efficiently and productively. You won’t find yourself slacking off and just letting precious time pass.

Key Takeaway

Some of the best tips to avoid overtime at work include the following: managing your workload, sticking to a schedule, knowing your limits, taking short breaks, and lessening distractions.

Although making these best work practices can be difficult in the beginning, it’s all about taking it slow and giving yourself time to adjust. Do them consistently and you’ll soon find yourself a happier and healthier employee.

How to Establish Work-Life Integration instead of Work-life Balance

How can you establish work-life integration?

Try to stay flexible
Take some time off
Remember to unplug
Observe your work behavior then plan your day accordingly

If you are part of the workforce then you’ve probably already heard of the term “work-life balance” — a balance between your work and personal life in terms of allocating time, attention, and energy.

Despite the popularity of the concept, trying to achieve a balance between the two can prove to be difficult. In fact, many people struggle to find the right kind of balance which can lead to stress and burnout from work and aspects of life.

The good news is that there is a new phrase gaining popularity in recent years that can be considered as an alternative to work-life balance — “work-life integration”. Continue reading if you are interested in knowing what work-life integration is, how it can benefit you in your professional life, and how you can try to establish it in your life.

Integration over balance

One of the main reasons why integration is a more suitable word to describe the relationship between your work and personal life is that it doesn’t evoke opposition. If you think about the word ‘balance’, its imagery, and how it is commonly used in language, you will notice that it creates a sense of competition or division between two or more elements. For example, balance is often used to describe the relationship between good and evil or represented symbolically through a scale.

Instead, work-life integration is an approach that tries to establish synergy and harmony between all the different aspects of life whether its work, family, community, or personal wellbeing and health. In contrast with the compartmentalization approach that balancing entails, work-life integration can be a better and a more holistic approach to the improvement of your life in general.

It would be helpful to think about it this way: work-life balance implies that those two things must exist on either side of an axis, in this case, the individual. Meanwhile, work-life integration implies that there are no sides and that both work and life must always be dynamically and harmoniously managed.

With all that being said, here are some ways you can establish work-life integration.

Try to stay flexible

Flexibility is a great word to associate with work-life integration because it suggests a dynamic approach to managing certain elements of your life. When it comes to your work or your workplace, you can try becoming flexible in terms of the time you spend doing your responsibilities.

For example, try doing a little work from home or establishing a remote work schedule. You can also find ways to handle personal errands and tasks while you’re at work. Convenience without sacrificing productivity is what you should strive for in terms of being flexible. As long as your workplace or boss permits, do your best to seamlessly blend your given responsibilities to create a daily flow that’s convenient for you.

Take some time off

You probably already know or have experienced this in one form or another, but achieving a high level of productivity means having a clear or fresh mind. That being said, taking time off is a must if you want to get that clear state of mind. If you’re feeling tired or stressed at work or even at home, take a 5-10-minute break to get some fresh air outside. A simple change of environment can work wonders in improving your productivity.

Higher productivity means satisfaction for you, your workmates, boss, and family so always try to take momentary breaks to maintain high productivity.

Remember to unplug

One big pitfall when it comes to maintaining a work-life balance is that work somehow manages to follow you wherever you go. Constantly thinking about work from sunrise until sundown tends to be both mentally and physically exhausting, which is why you should learn how to ‘unplug’.

As a rule of thumb, try your best not to work outside of your workplace unless it’s urgent or part of your flexible remote working schedule. By taking sincere mental breaks from office matters, you get to take a step back and recharge your mind and body.

Unplugging is different from taking some time off because you can’t necessarily unplug while you’re at work doing something important. Putting the two together would mean taking healthy breaks to maximize productivity while at the same time knowing when to stop thinking about work to focus on other things.

Observe your work behavior then plan your day accordingly

By now you should know that everyone works differently. Some may be more energetic and productive during the morning, while others tend to work the hardest during the afternoon. There will always be certain hours in a day when you are most attentive and focused. This is primarily the reason why you should make a conscious effort to observe your behavior and tendencies at work and plan your day with those observations in mind.

Use a pen and pad if you must because one of the keys to successful work-life integration is listening to your body and working with it to ensure the best quality of work. For example, if you notice that you get the most amount of work done before lunchtime, try to finish your hardest tasks during that time.

Key Takeaway

It is important to note that adopting a work-life integration over a work-life balance must always start in the mind. Avoid the rigid mentality that treats work and personal life two separate aspects that need to be independently managed. Instead, find ways on how you can synergize the two in your daily life and go from there.

Best Places in BF Paranaque to Release Post-Work Stress

Where are the best places in BF Paranaque to release post-work stress?

Central Aguirre
MTOM PC / Buzz
Shakes and Ladders
Alamat BF Paranaque
Turtles KTV

If you are part of the working population, then you would know that work-related stress is no joke. There really is no escaping the dreaded worries that come with work which is why de-stressing is an important aspect of managing your professional life. If you are working around Paranaque or the Metro South in general, then you are in for a treat because here are some of the best restaurants, cafes, and bars in BF Paranaque where you can release some post-work tension.

Central Aguirre

Central BBQ Boy is a famous chain of resto-bars in Metro Manila focusing on popular Filipino favorite foods and booze. The branch in Aguirre Avenue is their first-ever branch which is why there is a certain aura that comes with eating and drinking. Their grilled food is delicious and their original cocktails are also tasty and potent.

The best part about Central is its convenient location as it is situated along Aguirre Ave, and close to small offices and co-working spaces such as Workplays.

MTOM PC / Buzz

If you are not into drinking and more into video games, then maybe an internet cafe is much better option. MTOM PC / Buzz is one of the best internet and gaming cafes in BF Paranaque. Their computers are state-of-the-art and their premises are always clean. They also serve Korean food, coffee, and shakes so that all your needs are met while you are surfing the net or releasing your stress on your in-game enemies.

Shakes and Ladders

We have seen the rise of board-game cafes in recent years and Shakes and Ladders is one of the best ones around. This branch on El Grande Avenue is the second since the success of their flagship cafe in Maginhawa over at Teacher’s Village, Quezon City. With a simple yet delicious offering of sandwiches, rice meals, pasta, and shakes, you can kiss your stress goodbye while enjoying a round of your favorite game with workmates and other friends.

Alamat BF Paranaque

Going back to restaurants and bars, Alamat is one of the newest additions to the ever-growing and beloved food & drink scene in BF. While Alamat is more of a restaurant than it is a pub, like the original branch in Poblacion, Makati, they still have some of the best Filipino culture-inspired food recipes and cocktails.

Alamat could be one of the classiest ways of de-stressing in BF, which is why you should try eating or drinking (or both) there after work. It is also located in Aguirre Ave, a few paces away from the previously mentioned Central.

Turtles KTV

Last but not least, you have Turtles KTV. Can this even be considered a proper list of locations and establishments to release post-work stress if there is no singing or karaoke involved? Singing karaoke is heavily ingrained into Filipino culture which is why it is the best way of having a good time and doing away with stress.

Meanwhile, Turtles has many KTV rooms, which means you and your friends can be accommodated regardless of your party size. On top of that, they serve alcohol and food in the karaoke room which means you can have an even better time while singing your favorite tunes.

Key Takeaway

If you are working in BF Paranaque the possibilities and options are almost too numerous to count. From internet cafes to restaurants and bars in BF Paranaque, de-stressing after work is no longer that much of a problem. By maintaining a good balance in your personal and professional life, you are giving yourself the best chance of being successful.

5 Secrets to Achieving Work-Life Balance

How do you achieve work-life balance?

1. Learn how to detach yourself from your work and know your limitations; say no when the cannot accept more responsibilities.

2. Define the work boundaries in your contract and stick by it.

3. Cut off all distractions at work so you can get your tasks done within the day.

4. Respect your time away from work as well as the break hours; do whatever you want to do during this time.

5. Maintain a good relationship with your team; foster an environment in which you all help each other out.

For many, achieving a proper work-life balance can be a real challenge. While the prospect of just quitting your job altogether and spending the rest of your days bumming out may seem like a seductive prospect, there’s an equal argument to be made for working hard and achieving a high position in one’s career.

While the two may seem irreconcilable, there’s a middle ground. For some people, that means working from home, working part-time, or working in a coworking space in Manila. That way, you can maintain your relationships with the ones you love while still trying to reach the top of the professional food chain.

That’s easier said than done though, so here our more of our tips on maintaining a healthy work-life balance:

Learn Detachment

Especially when you’re passionate about your job, it’s hard to learn when to let go of certain things. Maybe it’s the drive to be great that makes you try to be perfect and be everything to everyone in your career. But doing so will only ensure that you will fail at it because no one can please everyone. Instead, learn when to say “no”; especially when you already have a lot on your plate and not everything matters.

Life is too short to spend it things that just waste your time. So, cut off all the things that are unnecessarily stressing you out and stopping you from achieving your dreams. Have a little faith and trust that it’s okay to let some things go: some friendships, responsibilities, and even jobs. You will feel free and more capable to doing the things you truly want to do.

Define Your Work Boundaries

Whether you are an employer or an employee, it is important that you both set the limitations in which it is mandatory for someone to work as well as the scope of responsibilities. This way there is no way you can abuse or be abused regarding the work done for the company. Remember that the terms in the contract were made to protect both the employer and employee.

So at the start of the contract, these terms must be clearly defined and agreed upon before signing. But if any term is broken in the middle of the contract, then this must be gently brought up to avoid any abuse. This will help to promote a just and healthy work environment. Just remember to respect yourself and those around you and no one will work around the clock.

Prioritize Your Tasks

When the day is over, look at how well you did. Were there times you were unproductive? What happened in those times? Did you end up chatting with an officemate for a little too long? Or did you get distracted by something else?

Think on it well, and try to analyze. If you can pinpoint anything that slowed down your progress at work, then cut them off or, at least, lessen them. This will help you to do your tasks faster so that you don’t need to overtime. After all, you have the right to clock out on time when everything is done. You’ll also be able to rest better knowing that you don’t have to catch up on anything the next day.

Me, Me, Me

Be selfish. That’s right. When you’re on your break be selfish and do whatever you need to do to relax and re-energize. In order for you to perform at your best, you mustn’t be burned out in the middle of the day. Maybe you need to nap or take a break in the comfortable bean bags of your coworking space in Manila. Do whatever you need to be happy and focused while at work.

Outside of work, do everything you need to do. If you did the previous item about setting boundaries, then you should not be bothered by work in your recreational time. So don’t give up going to the gym, playing games, making music, etc. for the sake of work. You need these to balance your life so that you’re not too overwhelmed with office duties.

Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help

The importance of a good environment cannot be stressed enough. You need people to help you lift the weight of your problems. Whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional, asking for help will alleviate your stress.

Don’t be have too much pride to ask. The mere act of asking – and not demanding – is a friendly gesture. If someone can help, then he will. But if he’s too busy, then he will kindly say that he cannot. However, it’s very important as well that the person you ask help from cares about you and vice versa. Otherwise he may not be so willing to do so. This is why maintaining a good team environment at work is important. In such an environment, a helping hand is just a call away. Just be sure you’re willing to do the same for them.

Key Takeaway

Achieving a work-life balance is all about respect. Respect for your work, your colleagues and yourself will help you to clearly define when to work hard and when to relax. Such a balance is what you need in order to enjoy life to the fullest.