Work-life balance: everything you need to know
Work-life balance is a term we hear quite frequently in the last decades, as awareness of mental health increases and work culture and employee wellbeing become frequently discussed topics. The term refers to the division of time between your professional and your personal life and how you prioritize each of these life aspects. A healthy work-life balance is key to the well-being of you as an individual, as well as your family and community. In the age of an increasingly demanding work culture, young professionals are finding it difficult to balance between their professional and private lives.
To each of us, a healthy work-life balance will mean something different. Secondly, your idea of a healthy work-life balance may change significantly over time. What might be the right amount of time spent at work for 25-year old you may differ greatly from what the right amount of time spent at work will be for the 50-year old you. An “unhealthy” work-life balance often leads to issues that end up affecting you outside of the workplace. According to Steven L. Sauter from the American National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the workplace has become the single greatest source of stress, especially for young professionals (Murphy & Sauter 2011). Michael Feurenstein from the Bethesda Naval Hospital has also observed that the number of work-related neuroskeletal disorders is increasing at an alarming rate.
A study of 250 employees from various business sectors and demographic backgrounds showed that both work-life balance and workplace stress contribute a significant amount to psychological wellbeing (Saraswato & Lie 2020). Specifically, the study concluded that the conflicting roles that both men and women face in the workplace and at home increase stress significantly, and, therefore worsen psychological wellbeing. Researchers have also shown that a poor balancing of work and life can lead to disruption of relationships, anxiety, and depression (Organ, Podsakoff & MacKenzie 2006).
Since work life balance is highly individual, it’s very difficult to come up with a standardised approach that applies for everyone. Therefore, one should be wary of identifying signs of a poor work-life balance and address them when they arise. Some signs that your work life-balance is not right for you are workplace stress, chronic fatigue, anxiety, and an increasingly cynical outlook. Moreover, a decrease in motivation and drive for work (or other parts of life) can also be an indication that your current work-life blend is not sustainable.
If some of these signs are noticed, one needs to consider what part of their life they feel unfulfilled in and attempt to create a schedule that works for you. Work-life balance doesn’t need to be about dividing the hours spent at work and in your personal life. More often, one would do better by having the flexibility to get things done at work, while also having plenty of time for hobbies, family, and friends. Consequently, some days you may work longer hours to enjoy other activities which are important to you later in the week.
Setting boundaries is another key aspect of reducing work related stress. When you leave the office, avoid thinking about work or answering to company emails. This also means that setting a specific hour for when you stop working may be necessary to avoid answering emails at night and to give your brain time to disconnect.
The third, and arguably most crucial aspect of work-life balance is that it finding it is a continuous process. The goal is to approach this process with regular self-reflection and evaluation of the different roles we have in our life and whether we are satisfied and fulfilling them.
Sources:
Murphy, Sauter. (2011). The USA Perspective: Current Issues and Trends in the Management of Work Stress. Australian Psychological Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050060310001707157
Organ, D. W. Podsakoff, P. M. and MacKenzie, S. B (2006): “Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Its Nature, Antecedents, and Consequences” Sage Publications.
Saraswati, Kiky & Lie, Daniel. (2020). Psychological Well-Being: The Impact of Work-Life Balance and Work Pressure. 10.2991. assehr.k.201209.089.
