Finding the Right Work-Life Balance

Creating a Healthy, Rewarding Life

Find the right balance.
iStockphoto/ianmcdonnell

People have debated the concept of "life balance" for decades, and it means something different to everyone.
One person might think he's achieved balance when he can leave work early enough to eat dinner with his
family. Someone else might view it as having a flexible schedule, so that she can study for a part-time graduate
degree. Yet another person might feel fulfilled by spending her "free" time advancing her career.
In short, you achieve life balance when you have enough time to pursue both work and personal interests that
you love. However, when you feel as if one side of your life is using up too much of your energy, you can
become stressed, your productivity can fall, and your personal relationships can become strained.
In this article, we'll look at life balance, and how you can find one that works for you.

What is Life Balance?

The concept of achieving a balance between personal and work lives can be traced back to the late 18th
century, when both the U.S. and the U.K. enacted legislation to limit the number of hours that people could be
made to work each week. Throughout the 19th century, both countries passed more laws to limit working hours
and enforce mandatory leave for certain events, such as childbirth and illness.
Life balance gained more prominence in the 1970s, as occupational therapists began to write about the need
to distinguish between work and play. The term "work-life balance" became increasingly popular in the 1980s
as more women began to enter the workforce.
Many women lobbied for support from their organizations during this period, asking for flexible schedules and a
shorter working week. Although the concept of work-life balance initially focused on women, it quickly became
more inclusive and accounted for the needs of both sexes.
Today, work-life balance is an evolving concept but, put simply, it's about achieving the mix of business and
personal life that's right for you. We're all unique, and the term "personal life" means something different to
everyone: it can include spending time with your friends and family; resting; participating in hobbies; engaging
in personal, spiritual or educational development; exercising; or care giving. It can even include your work!
Life balance is a perceived state: only you know when your life is or isn't in balance.
Note:
Life balance is a subjective concept. You may love spending most of your time at work, and that's
fine; there's no need to feel guilty about being dedicated to your job. As long as you feel happy
and balanced, there's no need to change!

Effects
Research shows that, when we don't feel in control of our time, illness and burnout can quickly follow. For
example, this study shows that a failure to achieve life balance leads to higher stress and absenteeism, and
lower productivity at work.Another found that poor balance is a major cause of job dissatisfaction.
It's well known that working long hours can increase stress and anxiety, which can have a number of serious
effects on our health. These include:

Frequent headaches.

High blood pressure.

Persistent insomnia.

Clinical depression or anger-management issues.

A weakened immune system.

When you think you're spending too much of your time and energy on one area of your life at the expense of
another, you can also feel guilt, regret and frustration. This can have a negative impact on your personal
relationships and self-esteem.

Achieving a Good Work-Life Balance

It can be challenging to achieve a good work-life balance, especially when organizations downsize and people
are expected to take on additional tasks, or when your responsibilities at home conflict with those at work.
The strategies below can help you achieve balance. Some of them may suit you better than others, so pick the
ones you think will work best for you.

1. Conduct an Audit
Start by keeping a daily Activity Log ; this will help you track how you use your time at work and at home.
You could be surprised by how you spend your time, for example you may find that you're taking longer than
you expected on certain tasks, dealing with minor issues, or in unproductive meetings. If you limit these
activities, you may find more time in your day for other things.
The same is true in your personal life: you might watch far more TV than you think. By reducing your television
time, you could free up your schedule to include activities that you find more rewarding.
Once you've completed your Activity Log, use this information to determine how valuable these activities are to
you. Apply the Action Priority Matrix to your personal and work lives to take stock of what's important to
you.
Start by using the matrix to list the activities in your personal life. Identify the commitments that are vitally
important, and that you have time for, as well as the ones that aren't. Be specific here. How much does it
matter to you that you're home by 5:30pm to be with your children? Do you still want to spend every Thursday
volunteering at that charity? Look at your log and add the most important activities to the matrix.
Next, look at your professional commitments. What non-negotiable needs, activities and goals are there in your
work life? For example, you might have a conference call every Monday evening that you can't miss, or a
monthly presentation to the executive board that requires eight hours of preparation.
Once you've added this list of "must-haves" to the matrix, write down the activities that are less important, but
still necessary. Your goal is to identify gaps between key tasks and those that you can potentially delegate ,
outsource or stop doing. This will help you prioritize the activities in your life. For example, you might attend a
weekly staff meeting, which lasts almost two hours but adds little value to your work. You could cut this out by
asking a colleague to take notes on your behalf.

2. Improve Efficiency at Work

The more efficient and productive you are at work, the easier it is for you to go home at a reasonable time.
First, try to limit distractions during the day. When you can focus on a task, you will be more productive
over a shorter period of time than if you are frequently interrupted. Next, make sure that you're working on
valuable tasks that help you make a real impact with your work.
Although it's important to maximize your productivity, keep in mind that continuous, long hours can lead to
burnout. Take regular breaks throughout the day so that you work more effectively these give your mind a
rest and leave you feeling refreshed.
If you think that you might be at risk of exhaustion, take our self test . Our article on Avoiding
Burnout has many tools and strategies that you can use to keep to a healthy work schedule.

3. Add Flexibility
Flexibility is an important part of maintaining a good work-life balance. One studyshows that people who
believe they have flexible jobs look more favorably on their work-life balance than those with the same
workload but with no perceived flexibility. It also found that team members who think their jobs are flexible do
longer hours before their workload has a negative effect on them.

Another study came to similar conclusions: you're more likely to stay and feel satisfaction in your job if you
have access to flexible working arrangements.
Ask your boss to allow more flexibility in your schedule. Perhaps you could work from home one day a week,
come in and leave earlier, or have some flexibility with your hours. Job sharing, when two people split the
responsibilities of one role, is another popular option.

4. Feel More Rewarded

You may not be able to do much about your workload or schedule, but you can make changes and improve
your job satisfaction . When you feel engaged in your job, the hours pass quickly and you leave work
feeling happy and satisfied at the end of the day.
Start by using the PERMA Model to learn more about the five essential elements most people need to feel
happy and engaged in life. Think carefully about these. Are you missing any and, if so, which ones? Next, think
about the tasks that energize you. Use the MPS Process to incorporate more activities and projects that
use your strengths and enhance your motivation.
It's also important that your work is meaningful. No matter what you do, your role exists for a reason. No one
has a job that doesn't help someone, in some way. Our article on Working With Purpose will help you
find meaning in your current role so that you reap greater rewards at work.

5. Find Time for Yourself

We all juggle many responsibilities and roles in our lives. At work, you might be a boss, a colleague and a
mentor. At home, you might be a parent; a caregiver for an older family member; a sibling; a spouse or partner;
and a friend. When we neglect one or more of these roles, we can quickly feel out of balance.
Use the Life Career Rainbow and the Wheel of Life to identify your current roles, and chart how
much energy you devote to each one. Which are commanding more of your time? How can you shift the
balance, so that you don't neglect the others?
Remember, life balance means having time for yourself as well. If you spend all day attending to others' wants
and needs, you won't have the energy and strength to achieve your own dreams. Set aside time every day
for exercise , meals, sleep, and quiet time for contemplation, brainstorming or just daydreaming. The people
and the work that you love deserve your best, and you can only give it when you're staying healthy and looking
after yourself.

Key Points
Work-life balance refers to your belief that your personal and work lives are properly balanced. It
means spending enough time achieving your goals and devoting time to the people and
activities you love.
To bring more balance in your life, audit how you spend your time. Identify and eliminate lowvalue tasks whenever possible, and try to focus more effort on activities that you believe make a
difference. Try to add flexibility to your schedule, and find purpose and fulfillment in your work.