What’s Wrong with Work-Life Balance?
Part 1 - The Problem with the Term Work-Life Balance
When we talk about Work-Life Balance I like to think of it as either “Whole Life Balance” or simply “Life Balance”. Let me explain.
I believe that everyone has the right to the kind of work-life balance that allows for a meaningful and fulfilling life. When we talk about “Work-Life Balance” it doesn’t quite capture that. “Work-Life Balance” implies that ‘work’ and ‘life’ are separate from each other and that they (should) have equal weight or importance. I’m not sure that’s quite right, so let’s look at that in a bit more detail.
Firstly, “Work-Life Balance” implies that ‘work’ and ‘life’ are two separate things or even opposing forces that need to be balanced. Many might say that work and life are definitely separate parts of their lives and that they are like a completely different person at work compared to how they are privately. That may very well be true and I think that that is precisely the problem: If a large number of people feel that work is not part of their life but something outside their life, then there is an issue. Someone who doesn’t see work as part of life is not likely to be an employee who is happy, engaged, and fulfilled at work.
If someone is feeling happy, engaged and fulfilled, they are more likely to see work as a valued part of life, rather than as something that is separate from it. So when people state that they are ‘completely different’ at work and that it is separate from their life, then I understand it as a symptom of the underlying issue: they are in a workplace that is not right for them, that is taking up too much of their life, and where they feel unfulfilled, undervalued, and not free to be themselves.
Secondly, while “Work-Life Balance” might mean that there needs to be a healthy balance between the two (which is fine), it can also be understood to mean that we need to balance ‘work’ with ‘life’. This would imply that it takes all of life to balance out work, or that it is acceptable for work to take up as much time and effort as all the rest of life combined.
If it is understood that way, then “Work-Life Balance” suddenly sounds pretty imbalanced and unhealthy.
That is why I prefer to call it “Whole Life Balance” or just “Life Balance”. I believe that the aim should be to make work a valued part of life, without letting it take over. This might mean making changes at work, or outside of work, or quite likely both. So what can we do to improve (Whole) Life Balance? I go into that in Part 2 - Creating a Better (Whole) Life Balance.
