In Search of Work-Life Balance

By Rachel Baldacchino

Rachel Baldacchino explores the never-ending journey of creating balance.

Work-Life balance (coined in 1986) is a phrase that means finding harmony between workplace demands and the ever-mounting duties in your personal life. People are still looking for the “caramel secret” to finding a healthy balance between their professional responsibilities and more freedom to spend time doing what they want on their own time.

If you’re reading this article and expecting me to walk you through my solution to living a balanced life, I’ve got some bad news for you – I don’t have the answer. I’m still searching and making sure my work demands don’t creep into my personal life and vice versa.

I’m starting to accept that I don’t have a work-life balance and likely never will. My solution is to segment the two worlds and create harmony within them.

The World of Work

I’m fortunate to work for an organization that puts its employees first and takes work-life balance seriously. They provide flexible hours, work-from-home arrangements, wellness days, access to mental health and wellness resources, and more.

But, if you don’t have these options, you might want to give some thought to changing your place of employment, if possible. Employers can’t provide 100% work-life balance, but in today’s world, there’s no excuse for an employer not to implement simple practices like:

• Embracing balance as a culture. All companies should have a work-life balance creed in place. They should be reinforcing the importance of taking a vacation, taking breaks during the day, providing access to mental health support, and other family-related types of support. And this starts with the leadership team; they should walk the talk and demonstrate how they achieve balance.
• Focusing on employee productivity rather than counting the clock is another critical component to balance at work. Workers don’t want to be micromanaged, and if an employee is a hard worker and puts in their time, leaders shouldn’t fuss about them taking time off for personal reasons, like going to the doctor or picking up a sick child from school.
• Reinforcing agreed-upon workday end time and not sending emails after work and infringing upon employees’ personal time.
• Asking for feedback. Keeping a pulse on what employees would value in terms of work-life balance can inform future wellness initiatives and help reduce stress, improve productivity, and decrease turnover.

Your Personal World

On the flip side, we can do so many great things for ourselves and build a less stressful, healthy, personal lifestyle:

• Focus on your wellness. If you’re struggling with getting through the day because of a personal stressor such as an illness or caring for a loved one, please talk to a medical professional who can point you toward getting professional help. Also, it may be time to get a complete physical. How often do we let this one slide off our to-do list? The truth is – if you’re not physically or mentally in shape, it will likely cause you to battle with your workday. Your health comes first!
• Keep your manager in the know. If you are having difficulties in your personal life or experiencing work burnout, have a conversation with your manager. That way, your manager can support you by revisiting your workload, making sure things are manageable, and offering options to get you the help you need.
• Let the sun in. When I work from home, I make it a point to open all of my blinds to let the light in every room. It’s incredible how this can immediately trigger good vibes.
• Learn to unwind. Carve out some time to exercise. You don’t have to run or join a boot camp. Start with something simple that you enjoy, like walking, cycling, or hiking.
• Spend time with your loved ones. If you’re married and have kids, spend as much time with them as possible, so you’re not always thinking about where the time has gone as your kids get older.
• Dust off your hobbies. How long has it been since you’ve read a good book, finished a puzzle, baked a key lime pie, or spent time in the garden?
• Challenge yourself. Put your brain to work in different ways. Whether it’s a puzzle, playing a game, or using an app that helps train your brain like Elevate and Lumosity.
• Chit chat. You don’t always have to text your friends. Pick up the phone and have a real conversation. It’s a great way to listen to them and help them with any difficulties they may be going through. And it’s a great way to let them in on your challenges.
• Schedule your weekends wisely. If you like being on the go non-stop, you may be okay with a jam-packed weekend, but I’m learning to slow things down, and as a type-A personality, this has been a journey. I’ve realized I can drop chores or say no to crazy little obsessions like cleaning the coat closet just because you walked by it. Instead, I can just chill and read a book.
• Feel like you are part of something bigger. Find a cause that you can volunteer for. Connecting with your community and with those who are in need can give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

As you can see, I haven’t figured out the secret to work-life balance, but I realize that I control most things in my personal life. And that’s where I’ll leave out my other world – the workplace. Creating balance is a journey, and it’s different for everyone. You just need to reflect on what’s suitable for you and not be afraid to change your priorities as your journey changes.