Ahh, work-life balance — we all crave it, yet it seems so incredibly difficult to achieve. With a constantly changing workplace, it’s easy to say “It’s impossible….my job is just too demanding.” Add to that the extra chores related to the holiday season while simultaneously juggling end-of-year projects and reporting, and it can especially become an uphill battle.
Yet, there is no better time to fortify self-care than the holiday season. With more days off we have the space to replenish our spirits (if we choose to use the time this way), and it is a great opportunity to hit reset on our work-life balance habits to carry forth into the New Year.
In my years as a productivity consultant, I’ve noticed that the top-tier performers in nearly every industry are deeply committed to their work-life balance. How we spend our time at work directly impacts our time off — and how we spend our time off directly impacts our work. Research shows that if you spend your leisure time in a restful, enriching, and fulfilling way, you will perform better in the office.
So, what gets in the way of our ability to disconnect and recharge? What fuels your desire to stay logged in or prevents you from stopping when the workday has ended? In order to find the right solution to bring your work-life balance to equilibrium, it’s important to first get to the root of the problem.
My conversations with clients over the years have helped me to identify 3 common obstacles for embracing a healthy work-life balance. See if any of these ring true.
1. Poor Planning
A failure to plan ahead can put the kibosh on your work-life balance in several ways:
One U.K. study found that the average office worker is productive for just 2 hours and 53 minutes out of a standard 8-hour work day. If you’re allowing more than half of your day to slip through your fingers due to distractions, interruptions, disorganization, and failure to look ahead, you can easily get stuck at the end of your day, week, or facing the end of the year with a huge unfinished project, causing work to bubble over into your leisure time. This type of poor planning could result in having to complete work at night, on weekends, or even during your time off.
On the other hand, many people experience the opposite issue — pouring all of their planning energy into their workday, squeezing every ounce of productivity out of the day, and simply forgetting to take the time to plan their personal lives. Without a concrete and compelling activity to do in your leisure time, going onto the computer to get some work done will yield greater satisfaction than another night spent endlessly scrolling through Netflix.
If you get to your evenings, weekends, and holidays without a plan, free time tends to disappear before your very eyes. You aren’t refreshed, you lose energy and momentum, and lethargy sets in. You’ll return to work feeling more and more depleted.
2. Company Culture
While there have always been and always will be certain companies and bosses who value face time and hours worked over the quality of an employee’s output, studies have shown that even in the absence of overt pressure, people willingly embrace extra hours. This is usually the result of an “unconscious company culture.”
There is a difference between the demand for 24/7 accessibility and bad habits that have formed over time. Just because your boss sends out an email at 11 pm on a Friday doesn’t mean she expects, or even wants, you to respond before you’re back at your desk Monday morning (she’s probably walking the work-life balance tightrope, too). Dare to analyze whether your 60+ hour work weeks are an actual demand of your role or whether unclear expectations have you tied to your inbox long past the required hours.
3. Work as Primary Source of Value
Many people are energized and most at ease when work consumes them. Work presents us with a sense of value and affirmation. The practical, measurable results offered by work can be more immediately gratifying than the effects of a personal life. Getting the report done, landing the contract, and running a successful meeting are tangible accomplishments with concrete results. The payoffs of a personal life — a feeling of fulfillment, energy, and love — are more ambiguous and much harder to measure, define, and access. That distinction can lead us to gravitate toward work--and feelings of guilt and lack of purpose when we aren’t working.
As we approach the holiday season and the end of the year, be mindful about when, why, and how often you find your work creeping into your leisure time. This will help you determine what’s really standing in the way of your work-life balance. Is it external complications? Or is it something about your own mindset? Once you identify the obstacle, you can more easily overcome it.