Are You Lacking Work-Life Balance? Try this...
Work-life balance has been defined as “a situation in which one divides or balances one’s time between work and activities outside of work” (Definition of Work-Life Balance, 2021). However, our lives should not just be broken up into work and life. Life encompasses so many different aspects, including physical health, mental health, religion/spirituality, relationships with friends and family, hobbies, volunteering, sleep, time to yourself, work, and more. Work is not a separate entity from life--it’s just one aspect of it. However, it should not be an all-consuming part of your life. The way that the term “work-life balance” is written makes it seem like the rest of your life comes second to work. However, that’s not the case.
The other aspects of your life are just as important as work. Yes, most people need to work in order to make money so that they can afford to buy groceries, a house, a car, and to send their kids to college, among other things. But if you don’t prioritize the other aspects of your life, there can be significant negative consequences. A work-life imbalance can have adverse health effects, including increased risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, and mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety (Sandoiu, 2016). In addition, spending too much time on work and not prioritizing the other aspects of life can lead to increased levels of stress, higher dissatisfaction with work, strain on relationships, and burnout (“Workplace Burnout,” 2016). Not to mention, having a life that is out of balance can affect your overall happiness and satisfaction with life.
But if you’re here reading this, you likely know the importance of work-life balance and may have even experienced some of the negative consequences of living a life that is out of balance. You probably want to know how to prevent these adverse effects of work-life imbalance and live a life where you have enough time for the things that are important to you. To get there, let's start with the question...
How Balanced Is My Life?
You may be able to gauge whether or not your life is balanced without giving it much thought, especially if things are far out of balance. However, we encourage you to do some reflecting just the same to determine which specific aspects of your life are out of balance. And as you begin evaluating the current level of balance in your life, it’s also important to get a sense of where you want your life balance to be. Which aspects of your life are most important to you (i.e. which do you want to spend the most time on)? Which are less important?
This is where you need to start thinking about your priorities. We all have different priorities depending on what is important to us, but here are some sample categories to consider:
- Job (paid work)
- Education (schoolwork)
- volunteering/community service (unpaid work)
- Family
- Friendships
- Exercise/physical health
- Mental health
- Religion/spirituality/mindfulness
- Home (chores, everyday activities)
Feel free to choose whatever categories best fit your life and to add others that aren’t listed. You can also divide these categories if you think they are too broad. For example, if you are a parent, you might split the family category into children, parents, and even extended family. Make your list fit your circumstances, values, and goals.
Once you have your list of categories, it’s time to think about where you want each category to be in terms of the amount of time you spend on them. Consider what matters most to you right now (since your priorities will likely change throughout your life). Once you’re ready, you can organize each of your categories under the title “Ideal” and record how much time and energy you would like to give to each of them. You can do this in different ways:
- Rate each category out of 10, with 0 being no time to 10 being all of your time
- Make each of them percentages, with all of the categories adding up to 100%
- Make a pie graph, with each slice representing how much time you would dedicate to each aspect of your life
- Make a dashboard or a bar and shade it to represent how “full” (how much of your energy and time) you would like each category to be (like Burnett et al., p. 68).
- Or any other way that makes sense to you
Next, think about how you currently spend your time. Which categories do you spend the most time on each week (on average)? Where do you spend the least time? Repeating the same exercise you just did (recording the amount of time for each category of your life via ratings out of 10, percentages, a graph, or another method), make a second column next to your “Ideal” column, and record the amounts of time you are actually spending on each category under a section titled “Current.”
If you’re having trouble completing this part of the exercise- don’t worry- you’re not alone. There are a variety of self-response quizzes that can help you get an idea of your current life balance. You are welcome to complete one of these quizzes to help you with this exercise. Try checking out this Balanced Life Quiz or searching for another quiz that you like!
Once you’ve recorded the values for where your life balance is currently, compare your “Ideal” column to your “Current” column. Which aspects are lining up? Which are the most far off? Are there any that are close to zero or otherwise too low? By comparing your ideal life balance to how you are currently spending your time, you now have a better idea of what areas need some help. When one student did this exercise, she found herself spending so much time on schoolwork and her campus jobs that she wasn't putting enough time into the other aspects of her life that are important to her, including her family, mental health, and physical health. Therefore, if she wants to have a more balanced life and have her time more closely reflect her ideal, she needs to find ways to spend less time on her schoolwork, and put some of that time towards her family, friends, mental health, and physical wellbeing.
After comparing your “Ideal” to “Current” and identifying the areas that need assistance, it’s time to get to work prioritizing your time so that you can reach your balanced-life goals.