Work-Life Balance is a concept about balancing work and personal life to reduce the impact of working too hard.
In the working world, we are made up of many different types of people. Some people spend only an hour on the same task, while others spend days to produce the same results. One of the real working cultures is that some companies or managers use employees’ “work time” as a measure of their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the company. Does that mean that someone who can finish their work in an hour is not an employee worth keeping?
Many employees are living in a busy world and struggling to balance their work and life to survive each day. But what we understand about work is a misunderstanding. Professionals are not people who work all the time. We have compiled 10 common myths that trick us into working too much and leave us failing because we do not know how to balance our work and life.
1. It’s about balancing life and it’s not about dividing it by 2.
This is the biggest misconception about work-life balance, because the truth is that there is no true work-life balance. It would be nice if we could divide our work and life time exactly as an employee. No matter how free you are, we will still use that time to secretly think about our work or work-related problems.
“It’s not about compartmentalizing our lives, but about considering both work and life.”
Meeta Vengapally, founder and CEO of Garnysh, explains that work-life balance is about integration. Balance is a strict trade-off: if we enjoy our lives outside of work, we are more productive and energized. And if we get our work done, we leave home feeling more satisfied.
2. We can’t cut work and personal time into equal parts like a pizza.
Proportioning your life is a misconception that people often call “the secret”. For example, dividing your life time 50% for work and 50% for living the way you like, or using the “8 8 8” trick, which is to work 8 hours, sleep 8 hours and go into rest mode, do activities you like, and be social for another 8 hours, etc.
“Quality time management comes from prioritizing, not scheduling.”
The thing is, it’s impossible to divide your life into exactly the same amount of time. You’ll find yourself working 10-hour days, or you’ll find yourself having to deal with less than 8 hours. Instead of forcing yourself to stick to a strict schedule, you should choose to live your life based on the priorities of the day. Some days you may sacrifice time with your family to work, but you’ll have a full day off to spend with them, without having to worry about work.
3. Smart people don’t grab everything, they grab only what’s necessary.
Even if we create a schedule in a day that allows us to exercise in the morning, spend time with family, then finish work and then relax, we can still lose some things on our to-do list.
“The truth is, balancing work and family is not easy. I travel in groups, and I often don’t make it home in time for dinner. Saturday is the closest thing to sacredness.”
Chris O’Neill, former CEO of Evernote, told the New York Times that he shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that we can have everything we want if we try or do everything on our list. Sometimes we have to let go of things in pursuit of our goals and dreams. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can cut out the unnecessary things from our lives.
4. Time management would be easy without the Internet.
If all it takes is good time management, then we must remember that most successful time management techniques were invented before the 24/7 online world we live in today. The truth about business owners is that we can’t completely deviate from our schedule, but we can still choose how we can focus our energy on the right things at the right time.
5. Technology doesn’t make a day 25 hours long.
There’s no denying that technology has made life easier, but that doesn’t mean it’s freeing up our time. There are still 24 hours in a day. While we can use the internet to handle AI-powered customer service questions without having to travel to a physical location, we still need to respond to those questions in person and be productive ourselves, even from home. Technology is an enabler, but it won’t do everything. It still takes a little bit of effort to get it done.
6. A to-do list isn’t always the most important item.
Even though employees have flexible working hours, that doesn’t mean that the most important things are still at the top of their daily to-do list.
“Being recognized for your hard work and truly understanding the needs of your team members is more important than balance.”
For most people, they are dedicated to work that is meaningful to them or makes them feel meaningful. They want recognition and want to work for a culture that cares. Balance is important for teamwork, but finding out what our team knows they are good at is even more important.
7. Early risers are not always hardworking.
We may choose to wake up at 5 am, as most successful people do. The idea starts with waking up early and bright. We will have time to get things done, and the result is that we will still have time to relax or enjoy a hobby that you enjoy.
“If we are particularly alert and focused at 10:00 a.m., setting an alarm for 4:00 a.m. is unnecessary for us.”
The 5 a.m. wake-up concept doesn’t work for everyone. Some people are more productive at night. Plus, whether we realize it or not, we’re adding hours to our day. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s not good for our long-term productivity, as we’ll be burning more energy than necessary. The key is to find the hours when we can be productive.
8. Working outside of work hours does not mean that you cannot finish your work during work hours.
Sometimes this becomes a discussion about work-life balance. This is about not working outside of work hours. But for business owners, sometimes we have to engage in our business during the holidays or sacrifice family time to go to work. And some employees enjoy getting work done at work and can’t turn off their computers until it’s done. Having a fulfilling life doesn’t always mean sticking to strict boundaries. When there’s nothing better than playing board games with the family, don’t feel guilty about working during those hours.
9. Working less doesn’t increase happiness.
Just because we can get all our work done in 20 hours doesn’t mean we’re happy. In other words, it’s not about how many hours we work or do what we love, it’s about the quality of our time.
10. If everything is scheduled, how can we find natural happiness?
Important tasks and appointments are always on the to-do list, which means that we don’t fit all the important things in our lives into the list. A list full of tasks and appointments is unrealistic and adds stress to an already busy life.
“We find that people are happier when leisure activities occur naturally.”
So while we should use a calendar to organize our lives, don’t overdo it. Leave some space so you can grab a coffee with a friend or just sit back and relax and do your daily activities.
In this world, there is no perfect formula for Work-Life Balance, and no one can tell us how many hours we need to work, how many hours to rest, or how many hours to spend with our family in order to maintain a great work-life balance. The person who knows the best formula for finding a work-life balance that suits us is ourselves. The following steps are the steps to finding our own Work-Life Balance formula.
Our own formula for finding work-life balance
1. Try to pause and do the same thing over and over until it becomes a routine.
Take a step back and ask yourself…
- What makes us stressed, lose control, or feel bad?
- How does what happens to us affect our work or our participation in work?
- How much does it affect our life outside of work? How do we prioritize?
- What have we lost?
- What is missing from your life?
Once we stop and ask ourselves these questions, we can begin to manage. Of course, many professionals have found themselves in a busy life. Many of them describe not having time or even time to reflect on themselves. They are often triggered by major life events, such as giving birth, finding themselves no longer having time for children or family, or the loss of a loved one. These major events can take their toll on their emotions and cause them to pause and rethink their work-life balance.
2. Pay attention to your own emotions and feelings.
When situations arise that raise our level of awareness, we begin to ask ourselves about our true feelings inside.
“Do I feel empowered, happy, and content with my life? Or am I feeling angry, resentful, or depressed?”
Deciding what priorities to move our lives forward is important, but equally important is what is reflected emotionally. It is the ability to recognize the true nature of a situation, and it is this emotional awareness that allows us to find ways to make changes in ourselves to achieve work-life balance.
3. Re-prioritize
Increasing our cognitive and emotional awareness gives us the tools we need to put things into perspective and how to prioritize our priorities. Start by asking yourself:
“What are we willing to throw away, and for how long can we throw it away?
- If we prioritize work over family, why do we prioritize life that way?
- Is it really inevitable?
- Have you ever regretted prioritizing in the old way?
- And if we continue in the same old way, will we regret it?
4. Consider your options.
Before we dive into problem-solving, we need to consider how different aspects of our work and life might be to better align with our priorities. Start by asking yourself:
- Are there elements of the work that we would like to see changed?
- How much time do you want to spend with your family or hobbies?
5. Start the change
Finally, after carefully prioritizing, it’s time to take action, or in other words, make real changes. For example, start a new role designed to spend less time on work, change your work style, set boundaries on your work, dare to say no to certain tasks even if you feel pressured to do so, have more flexible working hours, etc.
Conclusion
Despite clear evidence that working long hours can be harmful to both employees and employers, many professionals are still struggling to overcome this fact and reinforce their deeply ingrained attitudes about working hours. We must free ourselves from these unhealthy working patterns to reach a more sustainable and rewarding work-life balance.
The important thing to remember is that the 5 steps above to achieve a good work-life balance are not a one-time thing, but a cycle that we must do continuously, especially if we are influenced by a long-term work culture or are stuck measuring work performance by hours worked. What research shows is clear: people can really change their lives. They explore their emotions, reset their priorities, evaluate their options, and make changes throughout their lives and ultimately achieve work-life balance.
References:
Work-Life Balance Is a Cycle, Not an Achievement
10 Myths About Work-Life Balance and What to Do Instead
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