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What Really is Work-Life Balance?

99-SECOND READ

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony."

Thomas Merton

Work-life balance refers to the relationship you have with your work or career and how it synergises with the rest of your life. It's not just about how much time you spend working - it's how much time and energy you put into your personal and professional goals. How your occupation aligns with who you are and the lifestyle you want. True work-life balance means work-life harmony.

The 10 areas of life

To gain perspective, it’s helpful to remind ourselves of the key areas of life:

Family
Friends
Work & career
Health and fitness
Finances & wealth
Creative expression
Physical environment
Romantic relationships
Personal / spiritual development
Activities, experiences and adventures

Surprised by how many there are? Neglecting any of them?

Together they create the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual fulfilment we need to feel happy, healthy and fulfilled. These areas will have a different level of importance to each of us – depending on our individual values, desires, interests and needs - they can all be challenging, rewarding and exciting!

Work-life balance in a nutshell

A healthy work-balance allows enough time and energy for all the important areas of life. The key to lasting happiness; it means a career that fulfils you and challenges you in the right ways, aligns with who you are, what you value and the lifestyle you want.

Key considerations:

How motivated and fulfilled you feel by work?
How much time you have for all the important areas of life?
When, where and how you work, who you work with and what you do?
How does your job align with who you are and what you want from life?
How much time and energy do you spend on personal and professional goals?

Think in terms of work-life harmony – this creates a more productive and holistic view of your life and how all the different areas, including work, fit together.

To understand how to assess your own work-life balance – find out how in my post: Understand Your Work-Life Balance.

If you found that interesting, you can subscribe to the 99-SECOND BLOG to stay up to date with insights and ideas on how to live a balanced life.

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Written by Simon Tomkins

15 November 2021