Isn’t life about having a good work-life balance? But we realize it very late till life starts slipping out of hand. We keep on working day in and day out to achieve our goals and to be termed successful, in the bargain we get a highly compromised life.
“No one on his deathbed ever said, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.” – Paul Tsongas, Politician
While writing this article, I recollected, how my father, who worked in a big PSU, where we lived in the company’s colony, lived his life. There was no show-off, no glamour, no-late sittings or overworking. He will leave at 9 and be home by 6 PM every day. After coming home, he will have tea with the family, talk to us about a day spent at school and then leave for an outing or tennis game at the clubhouse. Be back by 9, have dinner, and sleep for the next morning.
It was a simple and beautiful life, we lived amidst green surroundings with lots of children in the vicinity. Everybody was everybody’s friend. We had visitors in our house each day. We enjoyed home-cooked meals and cracked jokes with each other. Papa would take us for magic shows, circus, kavi sammelans, Qawallis ( remember Shakeela Bano Bhopali?) and even Ram Leela, etc.
Mummy was fond of movies so she took us to Rajesh Khanna movies, subject to me finishing my homework or any other assignment. Life was wonderful. There was no issue of work-life balance. Life was balanced quite well by our modestly educated parents who did not depend on fancy degrees to create work–life balance to lead a happy life. Happiness was given!
When I joined the workforce, the scenario changed quite a bit. It got more professional, rather cut-throat when appraisal, promotion, and late sittings started becoming a norm. We always left on time but made up for home on time. After office, time was ours. We spent time chit-chatting, cooking, dining out, or visiting friends. Life moved on!
“Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.” -– Gustave Flaubert, Writer
Now, when I am watching GenX’s work–life, I realize there is a dire need to create work-life balance as they are working like slaves. Nowadays, meetings start at 9 and continue till midnight. They are bogged down by stringent deadlines, irritated by clients’ irrational briefs, and are deep neck into work to finish that unending work. The work scenario is fiercely competitive and competition is cut-throat. There is hardly any time for anything on weekdays. They are suffering from – TGIF syndrome! What is that? Thank God It’s Friday! Weekends are spent catching up on sleep and some forced entertainment provided by OTT platforms or some outings.
Is it a happy life? Is there a work–life balance?
There cannot be particularly when you have hugely elongated screen time and your brain is constantly taxed with work-related stuff.
I came across a study by Aviva which has been causing a bit of a stir recently. It revealed that, since the pandemic, people have become more focused on work-life balance than salary. Aviva says, “More workers said they were attracted to their current role for the work-life balance (41%) than the salary (36%). This is a switch in rankings compared to 2019, before the pandemic.”
I believe this is a sign of a healthy shift when people are tilting their priorities in favour of work-life balance rather than salary.
“Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance.” – Epicurus, Philosopher
How do you define work-life balance?
Work-life balance is typically defined as the amount of time you spend doing your job versus the amount of time you spend with loved ones or pursuing personal interests and hobbies. When work demands more of your time or attention, you will have less time to handle your other responsibilities or passions.
Why is it important?
Work-life balance is a key part of a healthy and productive work environment. An individual who achieves this balance successfully dedicates an equal amount of time to work-related tasks and personal matters without experiencing stress or becoming overwhelmed.
Here, work-life integration—or the synergistic blending of our personal and professional responsibilities—has become an increasingly popular concept. From this perspective, work is simply one aspect of our lives, which needs to be considered alongside other important concerns, such as our home and family lives, our community, and our well-being. Rather than resembling a scale with two competing sides, work-life integration more resembles a Venn diagram of overlapping interests.
Undoubtedly, work plays a significant part in all our lives. Our earnings ensure that the lights stay on, there’s food on the table and the rainy-day pot is full. With the looming cost of living crisis and energy bills playing on everyone’s minds, no one is underplaying the importance of earning enough to make a living… it just makes achieving work-life balance that little bit harder!
With these simple steps, you can achieve it to some extent:
- Learn to say “no”
- Take breaks.
- Use your lunch break.
- Ask for flexibility.
- Prioritize your health.
- Practice self-compassion.
- Communicate boundaries so you can truly unplug.
- Invest in relationships.
When our work-life balance is disturbed as we are stressed and overworked, we run the risk of jeopardizing more than just our social lives – our physical and mental health is in danger too.
So, pay attention to this modern-day concept which is hugely impacting our lives, and be happyHo!
