The importance of a work life balance for contractors

The reason why some choose to become a self-employed contractor is that they want to achieve a better work-life balance. They are tired of being told when and where they must work. The idea behind becoming a contractor is that they have greater control and flexibility over the roles they take on.

Contracting can offer this flexibility, but many may find themselves working more hours than they did as an employee. Plus, if you have the option of being able to work from home, the line between your work life and home life can easily become blurred.

This article discusses the importance of a work life balance and offers practical tips on how to achieve this.

The relationship between work and stress

Research carried by the mental health charity, MIND, found that the biggest cause of stress in adults is work. In fact, one in three adults citied that their work life was very stressful.

The research also found that one in five people take a sick day because of stress. Self-employed contractors do not get paid sick-pay, so for every day you take off sick, you are losing out on earnings.

Put a stop to stress with our tips for creating a better work life balance:

Put away the tech

Smartphones are a big part of our culture. Our fascination with constantly being connected to the online world can mean that work is never far away from our thoughts. To avoid being tempted to check messages every time the phone ‘pings’, consider having a separate phone that you solely use for work. Once the work day is over you can switch it off and enjoy your down time.

Plus, don’t forget that mobile phone costs (as long as the contract is in your limited company’s name) is a legitimate business expense. For details of other legitimate business expenses, see our article ‘Ask an Expert: What you need to know about expenses’.

Switch off at home

It’s highly likely that you will spend most of your time on-site at the client’s premises. However, you may set up a home office for admin tasks or to occasionally work from home. If you have such a space, it’s important not to get into the habit of doing a few hours of work on the night or at the weekend. Once, your work day is over, close the office door or put your laptop away and take some ‘chill’ time.

Become bendy

It’s well known that exercise is fantastic for our overall health and well-being. Partaking in exercise also has a direct effect on beating stress. Some of the best exercises for stress relief are Yoga and Pilates.

A big part of Yoga and Pilates is deep-breathing. According to the American Institute of Stress, spending 20 minutes a day deep breathing can reduce stress and anxiety as it increases oxygen to the brain which promotes a state of calmness.

So, if you’re looking to kick stress to the kerb, grab your exercise mat and head down to your local Yoga or Pilates class.

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