Work-life balance has been in the news a lot recently, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you are a leader at a company or just starting out in your professional life, achieving work-life balance is key to being engaged and happy both while in and out of the office. When you have a healthy work-life balance, you are able to excel at work and take care of your personal needs and responsibilities.
It is very typical for work to take precedence over everything else in our lives. Your own desire to succeed professionally and financially can take you away from your own well-being, family members, and friends. Making sure that you achieve a healthy level of work-life integration is important for not only your career, but your physical, mental, and emotional health as well.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Utah.
What is work-life balance?
You can think of work-life balance as a state of equilibrium. This state of equilibrium is when you reach a space where you equally prioritize the demands of your career and the demands of your personal life.
Some common reasons that lead to a poor work-life balance include:
Working longer hours
Increased responsibilities at work
Increased responsibilities at home
Having children
You should spend an equal amount of time dedicated to your job, and an equal amount of time towards pursuing your passions and hobbies and spending quality time with family, friends, and/or your romantic partner. When work begins to demand more and more of your time, you will have less time to handle your personal responsibilities and passions which can negatively impact your mental health.
Many people aim to achieve a healthy work-life balance so that work does not overwhelm their schedules, but many find it difficult. Achieving a good balance between your work and your personal life is challenging since our careers and our personal lives do not always live in separate spheres of our lives.
For example, let us say that you left your traditional 9-to-5 job in corporate America to create your own business. You have always been very passionate about fitness so, after a year of having a side hustle as a personal trainer, you have decided to open your own gym and resign from your corporate job. The decision to make this leap is not only affecting your professional life but your personal life as well. You are blending together your interests, which are incredibly personal to you, to create a financial future for yourself. If you are in the midst of making a similar change with switching jobs, read our blog “Career Counseling: Protect Your Mental Health During A Job Change” for more information.
What are some examples of achieving a work-life balance?
Examples of a work-life balance include:
An employee who plans out their work schedule in advance so they can work on specific days and take care of their sick family members on the other days when they are not in the office
A person in a leadership position who intentionally unplugs when they are on vacation
A manager who outlines communication boundaries and will not respond to emails after 5:00 pm
A stay-at-home mom who works on a major project while her baby is sleeping
A student who hangs out with his friends instead of getting a head start on his readings for school
Sometimes, achieving work-life balance feels impossible to reach. Are there any other options so I do not feel drained all the time?
Unfortunately, many people find it difficult to achieve work-life balance which is understandable. With our phones and computers, we are expected to be “on call” at every minute of every day which can result in high levels of stress and anxiety. This is why the term work-life integration has become so popular.
What does “work-life integration” mean?
Work-life integration refers to the blending of your personal and professional responsibilities. From this viewpoint, work becomes one simple aspect of your life alongside other aspects of your life, such as your home, family, community, and personal welfare. Work-life integration is less black and white and, instead, shows how different areas of our life can overlap and that is okay as long as you are achieving a balance.
Whether you use the term “work-life integration” or “work-life balance”, both of the terms essentially advocate for the same thing- wanting you to achieve a healthy, realistic way to manage your numerous responsibilities and goals. While work-life integration is more holistic and can give you a bird’s-eye view of your situation, work-life balance can highlight a much-needed space of division if you find that your professional life is taking up too much of your time or creeping up too much into your personal life.
Is work-life integration or work-life balance right for me?
Everyone has different needs. The unique nature of each of our lives mixed with our different responsibilities means that work-life integration or work-life balance vary from person-to-person.
Perhaps you are someone who would describe yourself as a “hard-working person.” Your work ethic has been ingrained into your identity since you were young and work is a source of immense joy in your life. From this perspective, it may be helpful to achieve work-life integration. That way, you are still receiving joy and happiness from your job while also making your emotional, mental, and physical health a priority.
On the other, let us say that you feel like you are drowning in work both in and outside of the office. Maybe you are adjusting to the life transition of having a baby and experiencing all of the changes that come along with that, or maybe you started doing the jobs of three people at the office when you are still getting paid the same salary. Whatever the case is, this would be an opportunity to try to establish a balance between work and your personal life. A first step in doing this could be talking to your boss about the challenges you are facing, and see if there is a way to lighten your workload. If you are in a similar situation, check out our blog “When Is It Time To Quit A Job?” for extra guidance and support.
Your work and your personal life can feel like a constant negotiation, trying to find out how and where you should spend your time. When looking to achieve balance amongst all of the spheres in your life, remember that you get to determine your priorities, whether that is spending more time focusing on yourself or spending more time at your job.
Why is achieving a balance between my work and personal life important?
When you improve your work-life balance, you improve the quality of your life as a whole. Numerous studies have shown that working too much can negatively impact your health.
Working long hours can lead to serious health issues, such as:
Impaired memory
Heart disease
Diabetes
Impaired sleep (If you struggle with sleep, read “9 Tips To Getting Better Sleep” for help)
Heavy drinking (If someone you know is struggling with alcohol, check out our blog “5 Ways To Help Someone Battling Alcohol Addiction”)
While on the surface you may think that working long hours equals increased productivity that is not true. In fact, overworking yourself can have the opposite effect, leading to burnout and additional negative repercussions.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a common cause for many teens and adults. Whether you are trying to balance school and your friends or work and your family, when your chronic stress goes unmanaged, burnout occurs.
Contrary to popular belief, burnout is not a simple type of stress. Instead, it is a state of emotional or even physical exhaustion that encompasses a sense of lowered accomplishment and the loss of your personal identity.
While “burnout” is not an official medical diagnosis, it should be taken seriously as it can negatively impact your physical and mental health.
The following are consequences of job burnout:
Excessive stress
Vulnerability to illness
Fatigue
Sadness
Irritability
If you need assistance successfully managing your stress, read our blog “Everything You Need To Know About Stress Management Therapy.”
How can I avoid burnout at work?
The best way to avoid burnout and manage stress is to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Positive work-life balance can be obtained when you prioritize your job’s responsibilities and career ambitions while making time for other important aspects of your life, like your family, friends, hobbies, and spirituality. When you find this balance, it not only benefits you, but it benefits your employer as well.
When you take notice of your schedule and actively carve out time for yourself, it can decrease burnout. You will feel more relaxed and confident, knowing that you are valued as an employee, but also as a human being. When it is time to work, you show up energetic and focused. If you find yourself continuously struggling with work stress and anxiety, read our blog “What You Need To Know About Work-Related Anxiety.”
Having a healthy work-life balance can also boost morale and make your workplace more enjoyable.
What steps can I take to achieve a healthy work-life balance?
Work-life balance is an important thing to achieve. You do not want to make achieving this balance in your life another chore to figure out. Instead of viewing work-life integration as evenly allocating hours throughout your day to spend on work and then yourself, view it as achieving a certain level of flexibility where you can get things done in your professional life while still having the energy to enjoy your personal life.
3 ways to create a healthy work-life balance:
Understand that a perfect work-life balance does not exist
When you hear the term “work-life balance”, you may have a million different images pop into your head. You may imagine someone who rises early to workout, heads to the office for a full day of work, then goes home to make a delicious dinner and spend time with their family. While this seems like an ideal schedule, it is impossible to stick to it at all times.
Do not place pressure on yourself by creating a perfect schedule. Instead, create a schedule that is realistic and helpful for you. Balance is achieved over time so do not force yourself to “get it together” in one day.
You should aim to be fluid in crafting your life, always assessing where you are in relation to your goals and priorities. Sometimes, work may call for extra time if you need to travel for a conference. Other times, your child who is home from school sick may need you more than usual. All of these situations are a normal part of life, and are impossible to predict or fit into your schedule.
2. Work with a career counselor
Working with a therapist for careers is a great way to prioritize your mental health. No matter how overwhelming your job is, your physical, emotional, and mental health should always be your priority.
Even if you have to use your lunch breaks to fit in a telehealth session or swap out your evening workout for a morning one, career counseling can greatly benefit you. When you overwork yourself and overlook the core root issue, you are preventing yourself from getting better.
Some benefits of career counseling include:
Clarifying your career goals
Understanding your career options
Gaining support from an unbiased person
Determining your strengths and working on your weaknesses
Learning healthy coping skills to mitigate stress
Broadening your perspective
Developing the right strategies
Becoming equipped for change
Maximizing your potential
And more!
When you prioritize your health, you will become a better employee and, more importantly, a better person. Therapy for your career is a great way to get back on track and put yourself first again.
If you are interested in working with a career coach, read our blog “How Counseling Can Help Your Career“ for more information.
3. Do not be afraid to unplug
When you cut off the outside world from time to time, it can be helpful in resetting. It gives you the space to remove yourself from the source of your stress, and it allows new ideas to emerge. Unplugging can be simple, whether you take a spin class or squeeze in a mindfulness meditation.
Unplugging could also mean taking a much-needed vacation, and shutting off completely while you are out of the office. Your vacation may be a quick weekend getaway or a two-week long excursion. Whatever the case, it is important to take time off so you can recharge physically and mentally.
Many people worry that taking time off may interrupt their workflow, resulting in a backlog of work when they return from vacation. While this worry is valid, you should not let it stop you from taking time off and making memories with loved ones. The work will always be there, but you may not have the opportunity to travel and partake in certain experiences again.
There is no prize for not taking a day off. In fact, the benefits of taking a much-needed day off outweigh the downsides. When you plan properly, you can take time off and ensure that you will not burden yourself or your colleagues while away.
Overall, work-life balance is an important thing to achieve. Overly-concentrating on work and forgetting about your personal life and responsibilities is a recipe for burnout and other serious health complications. If you want to achieve a great work-life balance, reach out to Anchor Therapy today. We have therapists who specialize in career issues, and who can help you navigate your professional life while prioritizing your health!
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager, Intake Coordinator, and Office Manager at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
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