Practical ways to balance work and wellbeing
posted 09 Apr 25
The conversation around wellbeing has evolved. It’s no longer a nice-to-have – it’s a business imperative. Professionals are increasingly seeking roles that support their mental health and promote balance, and employers who take this seriously are building stronger, more sustainable teams.
In high-performance sectors like Accountancy & Finance, Legal, Sales & Marketing, and Technology, the pressure can be significant. But with the right strategies, businesses can foster wellbeing without compromising on ambition.
When wellbeing is embedded into company culture, performance improves. It’s not about lowering standards – it’s about creating an environment where people can consistently operate at their best.
1. Preventing burnout before it starts
Burnout rarely happens overnight. It builds over time when stress goes unchecked.
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Spot the signs early: Look for changes in behaviour, declining engagement, or increased absenteeism. These are often early indicators of burnout.
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Workload audits: Regularly review workloads across teams. Identify bottlenecks, role creep or resourcing gaps that may be contributing to pressure.
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Encourage boundaries: Create a culture where it’s normal to log off on time, take breaks, and say no to non-urgent tasks outside working hours.
2. Promoting work-life balance in practice
Work-life balance isn’t a single policy – it’s an ongoing dialogue between employer and employee.
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Flexible working: Empower employees to work when and where they’re most productive. Hybrid models and adjusted hours can significantly reduce stress.
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Wellbeing check-ins: Build regular one-to-ones into management routines, not just to discuss performance but to talk about workload and wellbeing.
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Lead from the top: Leadership behaviour sets the tone. Leaders who model balance signal to their teams that wellbeing is a priority.
3. Building a stress-resilient culture
A culture of resilience doesn’t mean ignoring stress – it means being equipped to manage it.
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Invest in training: Give teams the tools to manage pressure, including stress awareness sessions, time management workshops, or access to coaching.
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Create psychological safety: Encourage openness. When people feel safe to talk about challenges, they’re more likely to seek help early.
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Celebrate recovery, not just resilience: Acknowledge that bouncing back is just as important as pushing through. Make rest and recovery part of the rhythm.
4. Embedding wellbeing into business performance
Wellbeing and productivity are not opposing forces – they’re closely linked.
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Measure what matters: Track indicators like engagement, absenteeism and retention. These are often better wellbeing signals than isolated surveys.
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Align incentives: Recognise not just output, but collaboration, supportiveness, and healthy work habits.
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Integrate, don’t isolate: Wellbeing shouldn’t sit in HR alone. It should be part of leadership conversations, strategic planning, and day-to-day management.
Supporting wellbeing isn’t about lowering the bar – it’s about removing the barriers to excellence. In today’s professional landscape, businesses that prioritise wellbeing are attracting and retaining the best people.
Nathan concludes:
"Professionals want to do great work, but not at the cost of their health. When employers make space for balance and recovery, performance doesn’t dip – it grows. That’s how you build teams that last."
By making wellbeing a core part of company culture, businesses can build more resilient, engaged, and high-performing teams for the long term.
