Growing up in the 1960’s and 70’s, I don’t ever remember the term “work- life balance” being used. Though there were exceptions, I think most people worked their hours and then, for the most part, left their work at the workplace. There were distinct natural separation points which made taking the work away from the workplace difficult.

Technology has completely blurred the lines of separation. For many of us (me included), work can go almost anywhere we go. And while that opens new opportunities, it can also result in an unhealthy lifestyle. Given this, how can we find that illusive “work – life balance”?

I have heard it said and I tend to agree, there is really no such thing as work – life balance. By definition, work is a part of our life. Not just a part, a really big part! Maybe what we need is simply a balanced approach to life. So, if that is the objective, how can we achieve it?

For simplicity, let’s compartmentalize our lives into three categories:

• Personal – Time that we spend doing things for ourselves. Eating well, working out, engaging in hobbies, resting, sleeping.
• Family – Spending time taking care of our most important relationships with family (and close friends).
• Work – The time we spend at work or doing work related activities.

Too much emphasis on any one of these areas can make a person feel off balance. This feeling can cause undue stress no matter which area of life is commanding the best of us. But for most, work is the area that can pull us into its vortex if we are not intentionally careful. When work tilts us off center, the things that suffer can be devastating to productivity, relationships, health, energy and our attitude.

So, what can we do about it?

1. Author Stephen Covey in his book “The seven habits of highly effective people” said “The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing” . It is easy to get distracted by all the “noise” in our work day. Often, the busy work takes a lot of our time with little gain. I encourage you to try to identify and then focus on your “main thing”, that work that is critical to success in your job. You may find that you have more available time than you think.

2. Learn to say no. People will line up to hand off their work to you if you allow for it. Often, workers trying to get ahead and be liked will take on work that is not their own in order to gain acceptance. The most productive people learn to say no so they can focus on their important work.

3. Give your phone a time out. Just put it away for a while. We are addicted to our phones and they may be one of the biggest time-wasting distractions ever!

4. Don’t neglect your health. According to psychology professor Stanley Coren in his book “Sleep Thieves”, when you are sleep deprived you actually lose IQ points? And when you put junk food in your body or fail to get exercise, you may be losing productivity. Both exercise and healthy eating can increase metabolism and provide extra energy. So, if you think “powering through” is the answer, you are fooling yourself.

5. Taking work home. Many of us, myself included, take work home. The important thing is to not let it become an uncontrolled habit. Put boundaries around your personal, social, and family time, understanding that those parts of your life are critical to your well being.

There is a lot more to be said about this subject so don’t be surprised if there is a sequel. Hopefully, something in this blog will resonate and motivate you to work on your life balance. I would love to hear your thoughts!

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