The Work-Life Balance Myth
After years of employers and well-meaning
lifestyle articles speaking of the "work-life balance", turns out it has always been a problematic concept. When you think about it,
"work" should never act as a counterweight to "life", with opposition between these two terms actually highlighting the nature of the problem. In a new world defined by flexible hours, remote work opportunities, and ever-changing career trajectories, it's never been easier to integrate your working day with the rest of your life.
While black is the opposite of white and
night the opposite of day, work is an integral aspect of life rather than the
polar opposite. When we oppose "work" with "life", we're
not even giving it a fighting chance. Instead, it's important to develop a new
attitude to work - as an entwined, necessary, and sometimes annoying part of
life rather than something that's trying to weigh us down. According to some
experts, life's many activities are better approached as a series of threads.
Our ability to define, separate, and weave multiple threads offers a more
accurate and useful model than the unhealthy work-life spectrum.
While most people need to work, no-one
remains 100% positive throughout their working day. Whether you're a rock star,
an accountant, or a street sweeper, there are pros and cons associated with
every activity and profession. The trick, and it's easier said than done, is
spending more time doing the good stuff and less time taking care of the
annoying details. According to a study by the Mayo Clinic, people who spend at
least 20% of their working day doing what they love - the "red
threads" - are more likely to be happy and significantly less likely to
experience burnout.
Some workplace activities are simply not
fun, with stress more likely when people feel loss of control or lack of
flexibility. Problems also arise when people feel like they're forced to
perform inefficient or unnecessary practices, especially if they don't have the
appropriate skills. On the other side of the coin, less stressful workplace
activities are associated with teamwork, creativity, opportunity, and personal
responsibility in combination with professional freedoms and skills.
While not everyone has the ability to
change their daily routine, most people can make some adjustments. According to
research by Time, 73% of people claim to have some freedom to modify their job
in order to fit their underlying strengths and preferences. However, despite
this rather healthy percentage, only 18% of people choose to make positive changes.
Whether you work for a large multi-national, run a family business, or work for
yourself, there is often an opportunity to shift workloads between tasks and
people based on personal preferences.
Whether it’s changing work-loads between
team members, shifting tasks based on times of the day, or doing different jobs
depending on your mood, moving things around is a great way to improve your
life by adjusting the patterns of your working day. Even when professional
freedoms are lacking, learning to work smarter and avoid procrastination can
help to shift the internal goalposts of your mind. All-in-all, seeing work as a
necessary and somewhat flexible part of life is much healthier and more
productive than approaching it as an "other" force that exists in
opposition to the rest of your life.
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