Let’s state the obvious here; the term ‘’9 to 5’’ isn’t in the vernacular of overworked, underpaid Londoners.
Before the pandemic, the Office of National Statistics revealed that those living in London work on average three more weeks a year than the rest of the country, or, in other words, about 104 hours more annually.
And that’s before you even consider the length of the typical Londoner’s commute. As reported by the BBC, Londoners also faced the longest commute in the UK, spending an average 75 minutes a day travelling.
However, things might be looking up. According to Statista, “In the 12 months to March 2021, the average weekly hours for full-time workers in London was 34 hours a week, which was 3.6 hours shorter than the average at the same point of 2020.”
Without wishing to state the obvious, this is most likely down to #WFH Londoners learning to work from home with greater efficiency, flourishing without the need for endless time consuming meetings and the distractions of water cooler conversation.
The joy may be short lived. As the government do their best to encourage workers back into central office spaces, it looks likely that soon, Londoners will be returning to those long days and tiresome commutes in tandem.
If you’re keen to keep some control of that equilibrium between work and play in the capital, then this might be of some help; here’s how to achieve the IDEAL work/life balance in London.
FLEXIBLE WORKING & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Eagle Headhunters who are headhunters London search specialists, tell us that, in recent years, the tables have somewhat turned in terms of the city’s typical job hunt. They say, ‘’Up until this point in your career you’ve probably placed the job seeking focus on yourself: your CV, your interview skills, your wants and wishes. To attract a dream job you need to firmly switch approaches and put yourself in the shoes of the business you want to work for.”
Indeed, the balance of power has shifted since the global pandemic so comprehensively changed the way we work. And with the employment crisis currently gripping the country and vacancies being left unfilled, for many London workers, a certain sense of autonomy has been achieved over working hours. Some have even managed to negotiate better pay, too.
When working in London it’s all too easy to forget that the company needs someone to fill the position. Let us repeat; they need you. A company that offers flexible working hours and personal development can really make a difference to your work life balance. Demand both.
Read: 7 job hunting tips you need to know in 2021
DON’T LET FOMO GET THE BETTER OF YOU
FOMO (do we really need to spell it out for you?) can sometimes feel like it’s physically lifted you off your sofa and willed you into the pub. And with friends seemingly always out in London, the temptation to spend every evening with them can be too strong to resist.
But it’s worth asking yourself what you’ll really be missing out on, other than a hangover and several hundred pounds spent?
That fear of missing out can be a powerful force, made all the more potent by social media’s omnipresence. The pull of FOMO can be particularly strong for London-dwellers as there is always something exciting happening in the capital. But spending too much time socialising can have a detrimental effect on that elusive work/life balance, as you may feel like you’re always playing catch-up on sleep, chores and life admin.
Instead, do make sure that, at least occasionally, you’re investing some time in yourself, to indulge in your hobbies, to enjoy a spot of pampering, to learn a new skill or to simply sit back and do, well, nothing.
TAKE A MIDWEEK RANDOM DAY OFF
London is a beautiful, inspiring city, but when you’re living in the middle of it all, it can be hard to genuinely make the most of all the capital has to offer.
Unlike the weekend, when the streets of London are ludicrously busy, a midweek day off can be a much more quiet, manageable affair. Sometimes, it can feel as if the whole of London is yours.
By taking an occasional midweek day off, you can learn to appreciate the city more, rather than resent its relentless pace and teeming crowds. Do so, and you’ll be able to get a table in that hot new restaurant, get up close and personal with the paintings and sculpture of London’s most famous galleries, and you might even get a seat on the Central Line!
Read: 5 IDEAL restaurants to eat solo in Soho
TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR DIET
Londoners spend a healthy amount of their income eating out. While not always necessarily a bad thing – London is the country’s culinary capital after all – too much of the time, that eating out or getting a takeaway is down to necessity.
Whether it’s because you’re working during your lunch break and only have time for a Pret, or you get home late and don’t have the time or willpower to cook, Londoner’s diets are often at the mercy of their work schedule.
We know, it’s easier said than done to meal prep and bulk cook, but doing so can save you a serious chunk of your paycheque, and help you feel healthier and happier. Rather than witter on (we understand your time might be precious), we’ll point you in the direction of our tips and ideas for budget meal planning. Bookmark it for a bit of light reading on your next commute!
GET ACQUAINTED WITH YOUR LOCAL PARK
London is blessed with some incredible green spaces. In fact, in 2019 it was named the world’s first National Park City and it’s easy to see why; the capital boasts nearly as many trees as it does residents, at 8.3 million and 8.6 million respectively.
We’ll break it down further. An incredible 47% of London is green space, and another 2.5% is blue (lakes, rivers, canals…). But most importantly for London residents feeling stifled by the size and relentlessness of the place, the city has an incredible 3’000 parks.
Sometimes, to gain some perspective and feel grounded again in the big city, it’s a good idea to spend a little time in one. To find your nearest park, check out the GoParksLondon app, where you can insert your address and see all the public green spaces close to where you live.
LEARN TO SAY NO TO COLLEAGUES
In London, where competition is rife and there’s a pressure to be consistently impressive to protect your job, it can feel almost perverse to turn down roles and responsibilities, lest it affects your promotion prospects or job security.
It may sound simple, but when put under pressure from colleagues, it’s not always as easy as uttering that two letter word. But it should be.
Give permission to yourself to put your foot down, with refusal delivered in a firm but friendly manner, and you’ll soon notice people in the office are treating you with more respect, not less. If not, then a little reasoning goes a long way; quality of work, not quantity, benefits from learning when and how to say no.
WORK LIFE BLENDING
People finish late in London, and life admin and chores are the last thing you want to tackle when you get home or at the weekend. As Forbes points out, “Work-life balance implies we should carve out specific (equal) time for work and for life”, but this can be impossible to achieve in the big city, when the demand to be in the office stretch long into the evening.
A new term has emerged in an attempt to solve this. ‘’Work-life blend’’ is thought to be the new work-life balance, and suggests that we should mix our hours of work and play, juggling both dexterously and knowing how to prioritise the important elements of each.
One way to approach this is by deploying the Eisenhower Decision Matrix. In short, it’s a useful tool that many top executives swear by, and an efficient way of prioritising tasks.
The core principle behind the matrix is that tasks of ‘urgency’ and ‘importance’ deserve distinction in order to help you manage your time more effectively.
Daily tasks are divided into columns – important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important but urgent, not important and not urgent – and are then prioritised in terms of what you should do yourself and what you should delegate or abandon.
Though this decisions matrix is traditionally intended for workplace task management, it can also be applied to personal time management, and therefore, can be used aptly to achieve that work/life blend.
USE YOUR COMMUTE TO UNWIND
For those who have a long commute home, this time shouldn’t be spent catching up on work emails. Neither should it be spent staring into space.
Instead, use this blessed little window of uninterrupted sitting (if you’re lucky enough to find a seat, that is) to do something productive or relaxing. Read a book, play chess online, complete a crossword or learn a new skill; something that takes your mind away from the office and the train is ideal.