Maintaining a harmonious work-life balance is vital to succeeding in one’s career and personal life. However, numerous impediments—including our constant connectivity, the demands of the home and workplace, and other stimuli—make achieving this balance extremely challenging.
When our priorities are unclear and our schedules are overloaded, we’re in danger of experiencing burnout and other negative consequences. Chronic stress and burnout can negatively impact our personal and professional lives, as well as wreak havoc on our health and sense of well-being.
But before we discuss the best ways to achieve this much-needed balance, we need to first properly define what work-life balance is.
While there is no universal definition, many life coaches and mental health professionals define work-life balance as the individual’s ability to successfully balance the demands of their career and personal life.
Work and life balance can also be defined as a person’s ability to separate their work from their personal life, without one area encroaching upon the other. Achieving this balance is extremely vital for our continued health and sense of well-being. It also impacts the quality of our work and relationships, including our relationships with our family members, friends, and colleagues.
When people are unable to properly manage the demands of their work and personal lives, chronic stress and workplace burnout could result. Americans, in particular, are notorious for working the longest hours among developed countries, with 85.8% of men and 66.5% of women working more than 40 hours per week.
Chronic stress is the most common health issue in the workplace and can lead to physical consequences like hypertension, heart problems, and chronic aches and pains. Chronic stress can also negatively impact our mental health, leading to anxiety, insomnia, and depression.
When our jobs are unreasonably demanding and we don’t get enough rest, the end result is often workplace burnout. Overwork and high levels of stress can lead to heightened irritability, poor decision making, and decreased work performance.