Nobody likes mixed messages. Meanwhile, the very society we live in can’t seem to make up its mind about work-life balance. Is life all about the grind, or does true value lie in slowing down to smell the roses? And even if we try to do both, where would we find the time and energy to make it happen? Too often, such essential questions about work-life balance go unasked.
The good news is that once you begin pondering, you’ll discover new approaches to work-life balance that feel right for you. For example, only you can decide where to best aim your energy so it genuinely provides benefits. You’ll find some input on how to best make that choice below.
What Does “Work-Life” Balance Mean?
People talk about a “work-life” balance as if you’re not living your life while working. Perhaps the first best step is to change your perspective about what work-life balance means. Since we live in a money-driven culture, some kind of work is inevitable. However, work is only one part of your life. The balance lies in preventing work from taking over and becoming most of what your life looks like.
In your old age, you almost certainly will not express regret that you didn’t overwork. Therefore, now is the perfect time to make that work-life balance a priority.
How to Balance Life While Still Being Productive and Valuable at Work
Work-life balance begins with you deciding what feels most important and meaningful in your life. This awareness will guide you when it comes to deal-breakers, sacrifices, and compromises. Of course, these guidelines are not carved in stone. You’re allowed to shift priorities from time to time. But, for starters, get comfortable with being the architect of your happiness.
Since it will likely be most challenging to re-imagine your approach to work, you can initially focus on setting work boundaries. There is plenty of fear that saying “no” to a boss is a one-way ticket to failure. Fortunately, it’s more nuanced than that, for example:
Set Communication Boundaries
In our post-pandemic world, more than half of today’s employees own up to checking and answering work emails and texts during non-work hours like:
- Evening and weekends
- Sick day
- While on vacation
This is not to say that some professions come with the expectation of being on 24/7 call. However, the vast majority of jobs allow you to be out of touch when you’re off the clock.
Take the Breaks You’re Given
Another guilt trip involves working through your break or eating lunch at your desk. When and why did this become the norm? Such behaviour has been shown to reduce productivity and increase the probability of getting sick. Breaks are there for a reason. Make the most of them. Take the time to recharge and reset.
Re-Assess Your Workday Behaviour
To feel more relaxed on breaks and after the whistle blows, why not train yourself to be more efficient during work hours? Communicate with management and your co-workers to streamline processes and empower everyone to:
- Get more done without pressure
- Feel no guilt when setting boundaries on your non-work time
How to do this will, of course, very much depend on your specific line of work. Regardless, it offers you a chance to improve everyone’s quality of life in one fell swoop.
Give Yourself Permission to Follow Your Heart
Just because society values the grind doesn’t mean that you can’t opt to put more time and effort into your family, hobbies, self-care, and downtime. This break from mainstream expectations is tricky but can be made easier with the help of a skilled counsellor. In therapy, you will be able to process the specific mindset and beliefs about your work habits, your fears of changing your work/life balance, and the emotions of carrying the weight of everything and doing it all.
Your weekly or bi-weekly sessions are an ideal setting for exploring your needs and priorities and finding strategies that work to achieve a work-life balance that works best for you. You can learn how to set the weights of everyday demands down for a bit, and how to prioritize and set healthy boundaries, and how to shift and flow from work to personal life with more ease.
You can be productive at work while living a rich life. Let’s work together to help make that happen for you. At Onyx, we are here to help and support you on your mental health and wellness journey and finding a work-life balance that fits for you. Reach out to our office to find a best fit therapist for you.
