Achieving A Work Life Balance In Logistics

As the old saying goes, find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. However we all know the importance of being social and keeping up with family and friends alongside your career. Although our drivers and office teams love what they do, we also always like to encourage them to maintain a really healthy work life balance in logistics, especially as it is sometimes a demanding industry!

We’ve put together a few helpful tips on how to achieve that harmonious work life balance, and if you have any more you’d like to contribute to help your fellow truckers, please do reach out to us on social media.

One Size DOESN’T Fit All

First of all, you have to accept that there is no one method to create the perfect balance. There is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution because every person’s balance is different, it is not always a perfect 50/50 split nor is it not subject to change.

Don’t strive for the perfect schedule; strive for a realistic one. Some days, you might focus more on work, while other days you might have more time and energy to pursue your hobbies or spend time with your loved ones. Balance is achieved over time, not each day.

How do you think you’d like to spend your time and what helps you to relax? Once you note down the answers to this question, you can begin your journey to achieving an ideal situation.

Prioritise Your Health

Your overall physical, emotional and mental health should be your main concern. If you struggle with stress and think therapy would benefit you, fit those sessions into your schedule. Overworking yourself prevents you from getting better and possibly causes you to take off more days in the future.

Prioritising your health doesn’t have to consist of radical or extreme activities. It can be as simple as daily meditation or exercise.

For more inspiration, on our blog our team has covered in the past how to support your mental health in logistics, and also how to keep healthy and nourished whilst on the road. When you’re done here, why not check them out?

Take Time Away

Burnout is real.

Sometimes we take on too much, work ourselves into a frenzy and don’t know how to turn off until its too late. We need to switch off and truly unplugging means taking holiday time and shutting work completely off for a while. Whether your leave consists of a one-day staycation or a two-week trip abroad, it’s important to take time off to physically and mentally recharge. We encourage this amongst our team and that’s why our drivers love working for Barnes!

Make Family Plans

While your job is important and you might truly adore it, it shouldn’t be your entire life. You should prioritise the activities or hobbies that make you happy and spend time with your loved ones.

In fact, why not try creating a calendar for romantic and family dates? It may seem strange to plan one-on-one time with the people you live with, but it will ensure that you actually make good on your promise to spend quality time with them without work-life conflict. Just because work keeps you busy doesn’t mean you should neglect personal relationships.

In today’s era, especially in an industry like logistics, the ability to achieve a healthy work life balance is becoming more and more difficult. The industry expects so much from its workers, targets are booming, competition is getting high and individuals are increasingly putting pressure on themselves to achieve greater results but by maintaining that healthy work life balance, industry workers can thrive in this environment.

For more inspiration and tips for life on the road, check out our blog where you can read about all different types of topics from our team.