How to Maintain a Healthy Relationship With Your Job

What do you do to maintain your relationship with your job?

Similar to a friendship or romantic relationship, it is easy to slip into a routine when you’ve been in a job for a while. Sometimes this can be a good routine, resulting in efficiency and quick resolutions. However, some routines can cause monotony and stress, resulting in people beginning to dislike their work.

We may not think about our job as a relationship, but the amount of time we spend and the effort we put into the work can take up much of our brain power and attention, similar to a relationship with a person. Just as we work on our relationships with others, it is important to consider how you feel about your job.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to cook your job a nice meal and light a candle, but what should we be doing?

Take regular breaks

This sounds like an obvious one, I know, but it is very important! Taking short breaks throughout the day reduces stress and often helps people come back with a fresh perspective. Anything from going to make a cup of tea to stretching by the window counts as a break. You could have a quick chat with a colleague or get some fresh air by popping out to get milk for the office.

Switch off over the weekend

If you have a work phone or laptop that you keep with you over the weekend, it is easy to hop on for 5 minutes to send an email or finish a spreadsheet. Working overtime regularly, no matter the level of work, can severely deteriorate your mental wellbeing. Spending the weekend with loved ones, visiting a new place, practising a hobby or simply resting is shown to improve productivity, creativity and focus. 

Get to know your colleagues

Whether it’s people on your team or from another department, making friends at work massively boosts morale and can help you feel more optimistic about going to work. The beauty of having a job is meeting people you otherwise likely wouldn’t meet or befriend. By getting to know your colleagues and creating positive work relationships, you can help each other create a positive work environment through encouragement, motivation, and effective communication.

Know your limits

Some of us can find it quite difficult to say no when your manager or colleague asks you to help with a task. We think, ‘it’s just one thing, it’ll take 5 minutes’, but often it doesn’t just take 5 minutes and can add to your already long list of tasks. It is essential to set boundaries at work, even with your manager. Being able to tell when you’ve already got a lot on your plate and prioritising your tasks well is a very strong quality to have and can increase confidence and quality in your work. If you find that you might have accepted more than you can handle, there is no shame in asking for help. 

Invest in better equipment

Physical wellbeing is just as important to consider at work. Many people’s work involves them sitting for long periods, leading to increased blood pressure, bad posture, and strains. This is why finding suitable furniture that gives you support and comfort is essential. If you’re looking at screens for a lot of the day, blue light-blocking glasses are a fantastic investment to reduce the level of blue light entering the eyes, helping decrease eye strain that may be causing headaches.

Work away from your bedroom

If you work remotely for a few days or every day during the week, setting up a separate workspace can be highly effective in increasing productivity and, generally, how you feel about the work itself. Working within the vicinity of, or on, your bed can lead to your brain associating your bed with work, making it harder to fall asleep at night. As for during work hours, it could be a relaxing distraction from tasks, potentially decreasing your quality or quantity of work. If you cannot work from your bedroom, you could try room dividers, such as a curtain or bookcase, to separate the rest and workspaces.

Following these tips can help you maintain a positive and healthy relationship with your job and improve your feelings about going to work each day. Your relationship with your job is just as important as any other. Make sure you nourish and care for the relationship - no, I’m not talking about running it a bubble bath and bringing a glass of wine.

If you’re interested in improving your employee’s work culture and want to help your team’s financial and mental wellbeing, get in touch today! Each Person powers an employee savings program with our fully functional, market-leading employee recognition platform so that you can look after your most important assets, your people. 

Sources:

• Breaks for breakthroughs: The importance of taking breaks during the workday - https://www.betterup.com/blog/the-importance-of-taking-breaks#:~:text=Breaks%20help%20your%20productivity%2C%20energy,%2C%20but%20you're%20wrong.
• 14 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Work Over the Weekend - https://www.recruiter.com/recruiting/14-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-work-over-the-weekend-infographic/
• Office Essentials: 7 Reasons Why Having a Good Office Chair is Important - https://www.furniture-work.co.uk/blog/office-essentials-7-reasons-why-having-a-good-office-chair-is-important#:~:text=Encourages%20Good%20Posture&text=Adjustable%20height%2C%20lumbar%20support%20and,morale%20and%20additional%20health%20costs.
• What Are Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses? - https://www.healthline.com/health/what-are-blue-light-glasses
• There’s One Room You Should Avoid From 9 to 5, According to Experts - https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/working-from-home-bedroom-advice-36828053

By Alex Crump, Published March, 2023