Work Life Balance

In an era where workplace burnout and employee turnover is at all time high, work life balance is an ever increasing hot topic amongst employees and their employers. 2021 was unofficially/officially labeled the year of “The Great Resignation” as there was an all time high of individuals resigning from their previous organizations and diving head first into new opportunities. So in this blog, I wanted to take a deeper look into what work life balance really is, why is it so important and what you can really do about it.

What really is it?

As someone who has been a huge advocate for this topic it’s fascinating getting to dive deeper into what it really means to have a work life balance. Certainly there are multiple definitions depending on who you ask, but this is what I’ll share based on the experiences I’ve had.

For starters, it means having the time to live outside of work. Because HEY - YOU ARE NOT YOUR WORK. Despite how much you love what you do (or don’t ), despite how much energy and time you put into. The truth is, you are separate from ____ ( fill in whatever your title is). I find that this is something people often forget and is a very important reminder as we dive into the topic.

In any job, whether you work a 9-5, are a freelancer, or work longer shifts on and off, I truly believe in the hours outside of work as sacred time. And this sacred time is vital to your well being. Having time outside of work to pursue alternative passions, be with loved ones, be creative, have side projects, etc. shouldn’t be considered a luxury, but an essential. After all, true work life balance allows you to do the things you love and still pursue your career.

Last but not least, work life balance is also having adequate time off. Many people have a mere 2 weeks off for an entire calendar year.. I’ll say it again for the people in the back.. 2 WEEKS OUT OF A YEAR… And then there are those who don’t even use all their PTO. I’ve heard so many excuses from these people, things like “I don’t have anywhere to go”, “ I could never use all my time off”, “ I have too much work to take the time off” and so on, and so on… To these people: Have you ever considered that you don’t have to go on a fancy vacation, or schedule a beach trip to enjoy your time off? And have you ever considered that your work will still be there when you come back? Taking PTO could simply look like taking a day for yourself at home, taking a day to reconnect with your partner. Taking time off and fully away from work is another quintessential part of real work life balance.

Why is it Important?

The big and somewhat rhetorical question that must be asked is “WHY IS WORK-LIFE BALANCE SO IMPORTANT?”. And quite frankly, why should we care about it?

This is a weighty question and I know people who spend their entire PHD dissertation writing about this subject alone. I’ll keep my answer on the shorter side of that.

I believe work life balance is so important because it impacts our lives in the here and now.

Think of the choices you’ve made that have impacted your life in major ways. Perhaps it was moving out of state, marrying your best friend or choosing a different career path— whatever it is, these things have all shaped your life in a significant way (negative or positive). I think it’s similar with choosing to maintain a healthy work life balance. I’ve met people who allow a lack of boundaries at work to completely rule their life. It impacts their relationships, their ability to have meaningful friendships, their sleep quality, and their overall health as human being. So whether or not it’s something you actively think about, your relationship with work is impacting your life right now and that’s why it’s so important.

What can you do?

As I close this blog I want to highlight one last element on work life balance, which is what you can do to create it. Look I get it, we all should be grateful for having a job that pays the bills, but the truth is having gratitude doesn’t diminish your ability to create or advocate for improvement.

-If you work for yourself, maybe that looks like defining boundaries to end/start your day.

- Shutting off your work email after certain hours and adding a friendly disclaimer to clients so they know when you’ll be back.

-If you work for a corporation, speak up! Develop tangible ways that your company can contribute to a healthier work atmosphere.

And if you’re at an institution that doesn’t value this feedback at all- perhaps it’s time you reevaluate your choices and explore the options around you.

Whatever the case is, I hope this blog has given you a chance to reflect a bit. After all, work life balance is essential. It’s our life. It’s here and now.

And it all begins within you.