(2 minute read)
Today, there is a more undeniable overlap between our personal and professional lives. Not only because of recent changes to working arrangements and the new ‘hybrid workplace’, but the evolving realisation that we are human beings first, human doings second.
Too often, work has taken a precedence over everything else in our lives. The desire to succeed professionally can cause us to set aside our own well-being. Creating a meaningful and effective work-life integration is critical to improve our physical, emotional, and social well-being, benefiting all elements of our lives.
An effective and sustainable integration of our working and non-working life can be impacted when we take on increased responsibilities at work or at home, allowing an increased focus on one to directly impact the other.
Work-life integration is not about dividing the hours in your day evenly between work and personal life. Instead, it is more about having the flexibility to get things done in your professional life, while still having the time and energy to enjoy your personal life. The stark reality is that there will be some days, or weeks, when you will need to devote more time and energy toward one element of your life, and this may seem to be at the expense of other components. However, the ability to step back and assess whether the apparent imbalance is having detrimental impacts on other parts of your life remains one of the more essential components of your personal self-management.
Here are 5 ways to help you take more control, and maintain a sustainable integration of all components of your life.
- Prioritise your health – without your health, you will be ineffective in any aspect of your life
- Understand that a perfect balance is mythical – life really can be all about swings and roundabouts
- Find pleasure in your work – viewing your professional life as a chore gives work a bad rap
- Speak up – whether at work, home, or with friends, let others know if you need some support (and share the good stuff too)
- Set goals – in your personal and professional lives, having something to aim for provides purpose
This is a huge part of why I need to do in my life I have so much going on and don’t know how to manage it all. This will help a lot.
Yes, it’s necessary sometimes to step back and realise what is really adding value to your life and what is subtracting. While there’s rarely an ideal balance, we can all move closer to a stage where there is a good integration between all aspects of our lives. A good question is: “What am I overinvesting in, and what am I underinvesting in?”
Fantastic read Greig, I still struggle with this after 20 years of being self employed. I have vowed to get help in this area this year.
Yes Paul. It really can feel like chasing your own tail at times. Thanks for the feedback. Really appreciated.