The Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland, has been crowned the best place to live in Great Britain for work-life balance, according to money.co.uk's 2021 Work-Life Balance Index
As more of us continue to work from home due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the personal finance experts at money.co.uk delved through ONS data to uncover where in Britain is best situated to achieve a good work-life balance.
Those living on the glorious islands of the Outer Hebrides were found to have a good balance of working hours every week, a significantly low unemployment rate, solid annual pay increases, and an abundance of nature around them.
While the idyllic Scottish island scooped the top spot thanks to its positive lifestyle-related factors, West Devon took second place, while North East Derbyshire, East Dunbartonshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme round up the top five.
"Maintaining a good work-life balance is important however, it is often easier said than done, especially right now," says Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at money.co.uk. "Juggling the pressures of home and work life during a pandemic is not easy but making time for yourself and reducing the amount of demands you put on yourself is key."
The study also found that workers living in both the South East of England and Scotland have the best work-life balance, while Londoners are the most overworked.
Planning to make a move? Take a look at the full list below...
- Outer Hebrides, Scotland
- West Devon, South West
- North East Derbyshire, East Midlands
- East Dunbartonshire, Scotland
- Newcastle-under-Lyme, West Midlands
- Sefton, North West
- Arun, South East
- Orkney Islands, Scotland
- High Peak, East Midlands
- Babergh, East of England
- St Albans, East of England
- Tanbridge, South East
- Havant, South East
- Melton, East Midlands
- Highland, Scotland
- Gravesham, South East
- Fylde, North West
- Stratford-on-Avon, West Midlands
Lauren Paton, founder of Be Unleashed Coaching, adds: "Work-life balance used to be about the separation of professionals from home life but thanks to the pandemic many of us are living, working, teaching and parenting all in the same space so the lines are incredibly blurred.
"It's more important than ever to find ways to create a balance, to avoid burnout, protect our mental health and reduce anxiety. Setting impossible goals for self-care can actually cause us more stress, so sometimes it's about making small changes throughout the day which help to redress the balance."
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Lisa Joyner is the Deputy Daily Editor at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she's busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
