How does work-life balance affect your health? And why do I question whether this concept is useful at all? At Upskilled, you'll discover how to develop a healthy approach to energy management and create greater balance in your everyday life.
How work-life balance affects your health
For many people, taking work home has become part of everyday life. They continue working after hours or even during their holidays, always looking to be productive. The upside? If you love what you do, work and personal life can blend seamlessly without you even noticing. You no longer think in terms of work and private life. That is, provided you've found exactly the right job for you. Otherwise, the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life can have negative effects, which may take a toll on your health in the long run.
I'll explain in more detail why a healthy work-life balance, or consciously managing your energy, matters in the following article. I'll also share a few tips to help you find a healthy balance between your job, social relationships, exercise, hobbies and all the other things that make up your life.
Work-life balance: a definition
Let's start by clarifying what work-life balance actually means, even if many people already know, or at least have a rough idea of, the concept. To understand how a good or poor work-life balance affects our health, we first need a shared understanding of what we're talking about.
So, what is work-life balance? In neutral terms, the concept describes two areas of life: work and life outside work, and the balance between them.
Ideally, our working and personal lives should be in balance and even have a positive influence on one another. The aim of a good work-life balance is to lead a happy and fulfilling life.
However, what this looks like varies from person to person. We all have different priorities, different limits when it comes to stress and different lifestyles. We also define success at work and in our personal lives in different ways. For some, it means spending plenty of time with family; for others, climbing the career ladder is the priority.
A healthy work-life balance for you may therefore look very different from mine. The real task is to understand what gives you energy and what drains it. That's why I prefer to talk about energy management.
Why work-life balance and energy management matter
Unfortunately, many people's lives are out of balance. The scales often tip in a direction they don't want, placing an increasing burden on one side.
This can create a vicious cycle that makes the imbalance worse and worse:
Breaks and time to recharge become scarce or disappear altogether.
Stress increases and can develop into chronic stress.
Exhaustion sets in, potentially leading to health problems that then affect your personal life.
You stop enjoying your work. You find yourself counting down the hours until the end of the working day, which seems to drag on endlessly.
That's why it's essential to find ways to counterbalance the demands of work. We all need time and space to recharge if we want to lead healthy, happy and balanced lives. This makes it important to reflect on our work-life balance.
When more energy flows out than in: the effects of poor work-life balance
Several factors can have a negative impact on your work-life balance. These include:
Poor time management at work and/or in your free time.
Constant time pressure caused by too many appointments or tasks.
Excessive perfectionism and/or unrealistic expectations of your own performance.
Vague or missing definitions of your professional and/or personal goals.
Working without focus and getting distracted, for example by your smartphone or colleagues.
A job that simply isn't right for you and therefore drains your energy.
When negative stress starts to dominate, it can affect both your working and personal life and take a toll on your health. Sleep problems, lack of motivation, mood swings and a weakened immune system can all result. Tension in your shoulders and neck can develop into chronic back or stomach pain. In the worst cases, prolonged stress can even lead to burnout or depression.
An imbalance can therefore affect either your work or your personal life. We inevitably carry our worries and stress into other areas of our lives. Rarely can we simply leave them on the doorstep.
How to achieve a healthy work-life balance and a positive energy balance
Work-life balance is therefore a key factor in our wellbeing, enjoyment of life and health. However, I'd like to move away from the rather subjective labels of «good» and «bad» and focus instead on a «healthy» work-life balance. After all, physical and mental health should come first.
The steps you need to take to create a work-life balance that works for you are highly individual. Everyone needs to discover what helps them recharge and find balance. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for a healthy work-life balance.
To get started, however, you can ask yourself these questions:
What matters to me in life, and what do I want to achieve?
What gives me energy, and what drains it?
Which areas of my life am I unwilling to compromise on?
What makes me happy, and what doesn't?
Do I love my job?
Your answers will help you identify the first steps you can take to create a healthy balance between your professional and personal life.
Steps towards a healthy work-life balance and effective energy management
Although work-life balance, and the steps towards achieving a healthy balance between work and personal life, are highly individual, there are some general measures that can help you get started.
1. Structure your life
Start by organising your tasks. Set priorities and plan your appointments. If possible, keep track of them in a calendar. This will help you get an overview of both your professional and personal life, recognise your routines and identify opportunities to improve them.
2. Focus on your priorities
Avoid multitasking. Work through your tasks one at a time, and tackle difficult or unpleasant ones first. Set aside specific time slots or dedicate certain days to particular tasks. This helps you avoid distractions and stay focused.
3. Find ways to recharge
Taking a step back helps you switch off mentally and get the most out of your time to recover. So make a conscious effort to take time away from your work and/or personal responsibilities. This could be a day trip or a short holiday. Even a brief change of scenery, such as going for a walk, can help restore your balance.
4. Make time for yourself and the things that matter to you and give you energy
Make time for your hobbies, exercise or learning something new. Spend time with the people who matter to you. Social relationships boost our wellbeing, life satisfaction and, in turn, our health.
Give yourself the downtime you've earned at the end of the working day. Allow yourself to be unavailable from time to time, and switch off your phone or laptop in the evening. You can read more about this in my article «What are you addicted to? An invitation to digital mindfulness».
5. Listen to yourself
Your health matters most, both physically and mentally. So learn to say «no». Eat well, get enough exercise and drink plenty of water. Get to know your limits and respect them by paying attention to your body and the signals it sends you.
Take regular breaks, too. Our ability to perform and concentrate starts to decline after an hour at the latest. We all need time to recover, although the amount of rest we need varies from person to person.
Create a healthy work-life balance with the support of Life & Business Coaching in Zurich.
Sometimes, even the best strategies aren't enough to establish a healthy work-life balance on your own. There are moments in life when you feel stuck, lose sight of the bigger picture or simply don't know where to begin. That's where coaching can help.
As a coach and founder of Upskilled, I share my knowledge and practical tips with people who want to create a healthier work-life balance. I can support you in your individual professional and/or personal development.
Through life coaching, we challenge old thought patterns, explore new perspectives and strengthen your inner compass, helping you realign it with what matters to you. I'll support you in developing your own solutions and strategies so you can create a healthy, balanced way of living that works for you.