What is Work-Life Balance?
A work-life balance is all about striking a healthy balance between your working and personal life. What a work-life balance looks like will very much depend on the individual. Some people will choose to balance the time they spend working by travelling; others might prefer spending time with friends or practicing a hobby.
Work-Life Balance Myth-Busting
It is a common misconception that a work-life balance is nothing but a myth. At its core, the work-life balance is all about creating happier and healthier individuals and, in doing so, benefiting both the individual and the business that they work for. As more and more people continue to work from home, issues that arise from a lack of work-life are increasing, making it more important than ever to bust some work-life balance myths.
A Work-Life Balance is a Set Formula
The term work-life balance can be misleading, causing people to assume that it involves making a neat split between your working and personal lives. A work-life balance can’t be calculated with a mathematical equation; it is a mindset that is likely to manifest in different ways as the demands of your life change.
A Good Work-Life Balance is Bad for Business
It is easy to understand why some people might think that a work-life balance is bad for business. After all, it is taking the time and focus away from work. However, this is a completely misguided idea. A work-life balance is designed to bring attention to the fact that having a workaholic lifestyle is damaging to a person’s physical and mental health. While having employees who are constantly working might benefit a business in the short term, it is not sustainable unless you have a constant stream of disposable employees.
To Have a Work-Life Balance, You Need More Off Time
Another common myth about the work-life balance is that in order to obtain it, individuals must spend more time off work. A work-life balance does not necessarily mean that you will need to leave the office early or just work a few hours a day. Instead, a work-life balance is all about how you spend your personal time. It encourages individuals to pursue what makes them feel happier, healthier, and more fulfilled. The perfect work-life balance would mean never having to sacrifice either a professional or personal achievement for the other.
A work-life balance is neither a myth or a hard reality; a work-life balance is a mindset that is focused on creating happier and healthier individuals. What a work-life balance looks like will differ greatly from person to person and business to business.
Image by Kinga Cichewicz
