Expert tips and insights into maintaining a healthy work-life balance for Mental Health Mondays

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Find out how to achieve a better work-life balance for improved mental health on this edition of Mental Health Mondays with West River Mental Health’s Amanda Makley. There are a lot of activities you can do at home and right before you get home to ensure you are creating that equilibrium when it comes to achieving a balance between your work life and your home life. Makley says maintaining a healthy work/life balance is integral in assuring you are being present at the moment, managing stress effectively, and avoiding becoming overwhelmed or burnt out. An unhealthy work-life balance occurs when work becomes overwhelming and takes precedence over personal life, leading to negative consequences for an individual’s well-being.

Here are some signs of an unhealthy work-life balance may include:

1. Constant overwork:
   1. Regularly working long hours, including weekends and holidays, without sufficient time for rest, relaxation, or personal activities
2. Neglected personal life:
   1. Sacrificing personal relationships, hobbies, and leisure activities due to excessive work demands
3. Burnout:
   1. Experiencing physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion due to chronic stress and work-related pressure
4. Lack of self-care:
   1. Failing to prioritize self-care activities, such as exercise, adequate sleep, and leisure time results in deteriorating physical and mental health
5. Strained relationships:
   1. Experiencing difficulties in maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends, and loved ones due to work-related commitments

Makley says, the following tips should be kept in mind when considering a balance between work and your personal life:

1. Boundaries
   1. Leave work at work
2. Take time as you arrive home to effectively transition over into home life. this may be changing out of your work clothes, setting any work appliances on silent, or just taking some deep breaths before joining in with your family
   1. If you work from home, create a space that is designated for work and can be walked away from when you are done for the day and ready to transition into family life.
3. Determine what works best for you and your family
   1. When you consider employment, determine how many hours you need to work that is best for you and your family. consider what shifts are the best fit and ways to incorporate family time outside of those shifts that you work
4. Stress management
   1. Implementing strategies to manage stress levels, such as practicing mindfulness, engaging in regular physical activity, taking breaks, and unplugging from work-related activities when needed

Always remember if you immediate assistance you can dial 911 or 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number. Help is always available.

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